r3L*^~ 


NEWMAN'S   MANUAL 


HARMONIOUS    COLORING, 


AS    APPLIED    TO    PHOTOGRAPHS. 


TOGETHER    WITH    VALUABLE    PAPERS    OX 


Pitting  and  losing  tlw  fitter. 


>VITII  A  PRELIMINARY  fTMPTER  ON  ORTAININfl   HARMONIOUS   NEGATIVES,  AND  WITH    NOTES, 


M.    CAREY    LEA. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

BENERMAN  &  WILSON,  PUBLISHERS. 

18G6. 


Entered,  According  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  lSGfi,  by 

BENERMAN    &    WILSON, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


SHERMAN    &    CO.,    PRINTERS. 


PREFACE. 

In  placing  before  the  American  public  this  reprint 
from  a  useful  little  work  which  has  already  run  to  five 
editions  in  England,  it  seemed  desirable  to  render  it 
more  complete  by  adding  a  few  hints  on  the  obtaining 
of  harmonious  negatives. 

This  part  of  the  subject  naturally  falls  into  two  Bub- 
divisions:  1st,  the  proper  lighting  and  posing  of  the 
sitter;  and  2d,  the  mode  of  development  of  the  nega- 
tive, with  a  view  to  make  it  render  as  correctly  as 
possible  the  character  of  the  sitter  by  avoiding  actinic 
difficulties. 

On  the  latter  of  these  two  subjects  the  American 
editor  has  added  a  preliminary  chapter.  The  other 
has  been  treated  in  so  masterly  a  manner  by  Messrs. 
Petzch  and  Yogel,  that  it  has  been  thought  that  an 
abridgment  of  their  papers  in  the  form  of  an  appen- 
dix, together  with  some  English  memoirs  bearing  also 
on  the  matter,  would  perhaps  be  more  valuable  than 
any  other  way  in  which  the  subject  could  be  treated. 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS 


PRODUCTION  OF  HARMONIOUS  NEGATIVES. 


AVhen  the  photographer  has  mastered  the  regular 
manipulations  of  the  art,  and  can  trust  to  the  uniform 
and  regular  working  of  his  chemicals;  when  he  has 
provided  a  glass  house  of  proper  construction ;  and 
when  he  has  attained  proficiency  in  lighting  his  sitter, 
he  is  apt  to  consider  that  he  has  done  all  that  is  neces- 
sary to  insure  success. 

And,  in  many  cases,  success  doubtless  follows  his 
efforts.  But  he  is  liable  to  frequent  and  disagreeable 
surprises.  Failures  unexpectedly  follow  successes  with- 
out assignable  reasons.  He  soon  finds  that  these  failures 
depend,  not  on  faults  in  his  chemicals,  not  on  defective 
arrangement  of  his  lights,  or  on  bad  taste  in  the  posi- 
tion of  his  sitter,  but  on  certain  intrinsic  difficulties  in 
the  sitters  themselves;  difficulties  that  may,  to  some 
extent,  be  obviated  by  ingenious  arrangements  of  light, 


10  PRODUCTION    OP   HARMONIOUS    NEGATIVES. 

but  which,  after  endless  trouble  in  this  respect,  are  but 
very  imperfectly  conquered. 

It  is  not  intended  here  to  affirm  that  it  is  possible  to 
arrive  at  an  equal  success  with  every  description  of 
complexion,  features,  and  apparel.  But,  at  least,  a  very 
important  alleviation  of  these  difficulties  lies  in  a  direc- 
tion to  which  sufficient  attention  has  not  been  hitherto 
given, — to  the  regulation  of  the  development  of  the  negative, 
in  accordance  with  the  actinic  qualities  of  the  object  to 
be  photographed. 


CHEMICAL  NATUBE  OF  DEVELOPMENT. 

SOURCES   OF    BRILLIANCY    AND    DETAIL. 

In  order  that  I  may  make  my  meaning  both  plainer 
and  more  easily  retained  in  the  memory,  I  must  com- 
mence with  a  few  very  brief  remarks  upon  the  chemical 
nature  of  the  phenomena  of  development. 

When  a  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver  is  brought  into 
contact  with  one  or  other  of  certain  reducing  agents, 
such  as  proto-sulphate  of  iron,  pyrogallic  acid,  &c,  me- 
tallic silver  is  precipitated ;  that  is  to  Bay,  the  silver, 
previously  held  in  solution,  passes  into  a  form  insoluble 
in  the  liquid,  and  is  let  fall  by  it,  Now,  it  is  a  general 
rule  in  chemistry  that  the  slower  the  precipitation  the 
larger  the  particles  precipitated  are  found  to  be.  AYhen 
precipitation  is  exceedingly  slow,  it  frequently  takes 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS.  11 

the  form  of  crystallization,  and  the  separating  substance 
assumes  forms  of  considerable  size.  Precisely  the  same 
thing,  though  to  a  lesser  extent,  happens  when  an  ordi- 
nary precipitation  is  retarded ;  the  particles  that  sepa- 
rate have  time  then,  as  it  were,  to  find  each  other  and 
join  together.  ~No  precipitate  consists  of  ultimate 
atoms,  for  as  these  atoms  pass  through  the  liquid,  others 
just  ready  to  fall  attach  themselves  to  the  first. 

When  an  impressed  plate  is  covered  with  developer, 
if  that  developer  be  a  iveak  one,  that  is,  if  the  precipi- 
tation of  the  silver  be  slow,  the  particles  have,  as  it 
were,  time  to  choose,  and  attach  themselves  in  prefer- 
ence to  the  strongly  impressed  part,  whilst  those  por- 
tions of  the  image  which  have  been  weakly  impressed, 
receive  less  than  their  due  proportion. 

This  species  of  development  therefore  tends  to  hard- 
ness and  excessive  contrast.  When  properly  subordi- 
nated it  gives  brilliancy.  * 

If  the  same  impressed  plate  be  covered  with  a  strong 
developer,  that  is,  if  the  precipitation  be  a  rapid  one, 
the  particles  have  less  time  to  seek  out  the  strongly 
impressed  portions,  but  deposit  themselves  more  uni- 
formly. They  thus  tend,  if  this  be  carried  to  an  ex- 
treme, to  produce  too  gray  and  uniform  a  plate,  wanting 
in  force.  When  properly  subordinated,  this  develop- 
ment gives  detail. 

Finally,  if  the  developer  be  altogether  too  strong,  so 
that  the  precipitation  is  immediate,  the  particles  have 
no  time  to  obey  the  attraction  of  the  impressed  image, 


12  PRODUCTION    OP    HARMONIOUS    NEGATIVES. 

but  deposit  themselves  also  in  unimpressed  parts,  and 
the  result  is  fogging. 

Such  is,  expressed  as  briefly  and  as  little  technically 
as  possible,  the  chemical  principle  involved  in  develop- 
ment; and  a  clear  conception  of  it,  simple  as  it  is,  must 
be  of  the  greatest  value  to  every  photographer,  and  es- 
pecially to  the  portraitist,  to  whose  needs  I  shall  now 
proceed  to  consider  its  application. 

APPLICATION    OF   THESE    PRINCIPLES    TO    DRAPERY. 

The  great  principle  of  development  which  follows 
from  the  above,  and  which  I  believe  I  was  the  first  to 
point  out,  is,  that  whilst  a  strong  developer  tends  to 
produce  detail  in  the  dark  shadows,  as  originally  shown 
by  Mr.  Wharton  Simpson,  a  slow  development  tends  to 
perfect  the  detail  in  the  high  lights. 

If  there  be  a  mass  of  very  white  drapery  but  little 
relieved  by  shadows,  it  will  necessarily  impress  itself 
very  strongly  upon  the  sensitive  plate.  If  now  we  ap- 
ply a  strong  development,  the  precipitation  will  be  too 
rapid  to  distribute  itself  exactly  according  to  the  ratio 
of  impi-essment.  Accordingly,  the  very  faint  shadows 
will  be  lost.  They  will  tend  to  be  as  dense  as  the  high 
lights,  and  to  so  print  themselves  on  the  positive  paper, 
no  matter  what  care  be  taken  to  the  conti-ary.  But,  if  a 
slow  and  graduated  development  be  applied,  the  parti- 
cles of  silver  will  be  subjected  to  the  respective  degrees 
of  attraction,  and  will  fall  proportionately  to  it.  In 
this  way  the  degrees  of  tint,  which  are  only  a  shade 


PRELIMINARY    REMARKS.  13 

below  the  highest  lights,  will  preserve  their  relative 
proportions. 

On  the  contrary,  in  a  mass  of  black  drapery  (and 
with  very  non-actinic  colors  even  when  not  black)  there 
will  be  but  little  actinic  impression.  And  if  the  devel- 
opment be  a  veiy  slow  one,  especially  if  the  light  on 
the  sitter  was  not  very  strong,  some  portions  of  the 
drapery  may  be  represented  on  the  negative  by  clear 
glass.  Such  work,  of  course,  will  look  miserable  when 
printed.  But  with  a  powerful  development  the  want 
of  impression  is  to  a  large  extent  compensated  by  the 
rapidity  of  precipitation,  and  detail  in  the  dark  shadows 
is  brought  out,  which  could  not  be  by  a  slow  develop- 
ment. 

APPLICATION  OP  THEM  TO  THE  FACE. 

The  foregoing  illustrations  were  taken  in  the  case  of 
drapery,  as  being  simple,  easily  understood,  <ind  form- 
ing an  easy  introduction  to  other  cases.  But  they  are 
of  universal  application. 

The  human  face,  as  it  presents  itself  in  relation  to 
photography,  may  be  divided  into  three  classes  :  1st. 
Those  in  which  there  is  a  moderate  or  average  degree 
of  actinic  contrast.  2d.  Those  in  which  there  is  un- 
usually great  contrast.  3d.  Those  in  which  there  is  un- 
usual want  of  contrast. 

The  first  of  these  cases  presents  no  difficulty.  It- 
comprises  all  those  faces,  in  general,  in  which  success 


14  PRODUCTION    OF    HARMONIOUS    NEGATIVES. 

comes  easily.  With  the  other  two  it  is  a  different 
matter,  and  my  object  in  this  chapter  is  to  point  out 
how  the  best  results  can  be  got  in  spite  of  the  difficul- 
ties which  here  show  themselves. 

Let  us  consider  these  cases  separately  : 

Second  case.  Excess  of  Contrast. — To  this  head  be- 
long very  fine,  clear,  white  complexions,  with  dark 
hair.  Eed  or  ruddy  complexions,  with  gray,  and  still 
more  with  very  white  hair. 

Here  the  excess  of  contrast  requires  to  be  softened 
by  the  use  of  a  powerful  development,  or  else  the  pic- 
ture will  be  harsh  and  un pleasing.  A  developer  rich 
in  sulphate  of  iron,  and  with  but  little  restraining  ma- 
terial, is  indicated  as  the  proper  treatment  of  the  nega- 
tive. And  if  the  contrast  is  very  great,  it  may  be  advis- 
able further  to  subdue  it  by  a  prolonged  exposure.  But 
the  operator  cannot  too  carefully  observe  that  a  long 
exposure,  aided  by  a  powerful  development,  acts  so 
strongly  in  reducing  contrast  that,  unless  he  is  careful, 
he  may  go  to  the  opposite  extreme,  and  get  too  tame  a 
picture.  Such  a  result  he  must  not  ascribe  to  the  direc- 
tions here  given,  but  to  an  exaggerated  application  of 
them. 

Third  case.  Unusual  Absence  of  Contrast. — To  this 
head  belong  red  or  black  hair,  with  ruddy  or  highly- 
colored  complexions;  very  light  hair,  with  clear  white 
complexions. 

These  two  cases  illustrate  the  difference  between  the 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS.  15 

various  results  obtainable  by  exposure  and  by  develop- 
ment respectively  in  a  very  interesting  manner. 

For  it  is  evident  that  the  one  will  require  a  long  and 
the  other  a  short  exposure.  But  both  will  require  a 
slow  development. 

The  red  complexion,  the  red  or  black  hair,  are  non- 
actinic,  and  will  require  time  to  impress  themselves  on 
the  sensitive  film. 

The  light  hair  and  the  clear  white  complexion  im- 
press themselves  rapidly,  and  will  not  bear  a  long  ex- 
posure, under  penalty  of  a  loss  of  brilliancy. 

But  both  these  cases,  otherwise  so  different,  will  re- 
quire a  slow  development,  or  they  will  be  flat,  tame,  and 
chai'acterless,  as  we  so  constantly  see  them  in  all  but 
first  rate  portraiture. 

The  few  combinations  whose  appropriate  treatments 
I  have  here  explained,  comprise  in  themselves  all  the 
most  difficult  problems  which  can  present  themselves, 
and  the  management  which  is  directed  will  be  found  to 
be  that  best  calculated  to  give  satisfactory  results. 

We  have  now  considered  the  cases  of  drapery,  and  of 
faces,  separately  and  detached  from  each  other.  It  re- 
mains to  investigate  the  bearing  of  the  one  upon  the 
other  as  they  present  themselves  together  in  actual 
practice. 


16  PRODUCTION    OP    HARMONIOUS   NEGATIVES. 

COMBINATION    OP   DRAPERY   AND    FACE. 

When  the  photographic  character  of  the  face  and 
that  of  the  color  of  the  drapery  correspond,  the  pho- 
tographer has  a  comparatively  easy  task  before  him  if 
he  undertakes  it  comprehendingly.  Just  in  proportion 
as  these  diverge,  difficulties  increase,  and  with  certain 
combinations  may  become  insuperable. 

We  have  not  here  to  deal  with  questions  of  becoming 
and  unbecoming  colors,  but  purely  with  those  of  com- 
parative actinic  force. 

If  the  sitter's  face,  for  example,  shows  a  great  actinic 
contrast,  as  with  a  clear  white  skin  and  dark  hair,  or 
with  a  ruddy  complexion  and  light  gray,  or  white  hair, 
a  strong  development  will  be  appropriate.  But  again, 
let  us  suppose  that  the  person  is  dressed  in  one  color  and 
that  a  highly  actinic  one,  as,  for  example,  white,  blue,  or 
light  gray, — here  a  weak  developer  is  indicated.  Cases 
like  these  it  is  impossible  to  harmonize.  Tolerable  re- 
sults may  be  obtained,  of  course,  though  perhaps  not 
till  after  repeated  trials.  The  tendency  of  the  picture 
will  necessarily  be  to  err  in  one  or  other  of  two  direc- 
tions. Either  the  face  will  be  harsh  and  blocky  (if  a 
slow  development  he  used),  or  the  drapery  will  be  flat 
and  chalky  (if  a  quick  one  be  resorted  to). 

Again,  on  the  other  hand,  let  us  suppose  that  the 
sitter's  face  shows  a  want  of  actinic  contrast,  as  in  the 
case  of  a  ruddy  complexion  with  red  or  black  hair,  or 
a  white  skin  with  light,  tow-colored  hair.  And  that,  at 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS.  17 

the  same  lime,  the  dress  is  a  mixture  of  actinic  and  non- 
actinic  colors,  as  blue  and  brown,  or  white  and  black, 
or  light  gray  and  red,  or  light  gray  and  brown  or 
green,  &c.  &c, — such  combinations  of  face  and  costume 
will  present  difficulties  more  or  less  great  according  to 
the  differences  of  contrast.  The  tendencies  here  will  be 
to  err  in  one  or  other  of  these  two  directions.  Either 
the  face  will  be  flat  and  gray  (with  a  strong  develop- 
ment), or  the  drapery  will  tend  to  present  a  mixture  of 
white  and  black  without  half  tone  (with  a  weak  and 
slow  development). 

These,  then,  are  the  difficulties  of  portraiture.  Where 
the  contrasts  exist  only  in  the  face,  or  only  in  the  dra- 
pery, the  means  have  been  here  pointed  out  for  over- 
coming them.  But  when  the  indications  of  the  face 
and  those  of  the  drapery  point  in  opposite  directions, 
and  call  consequently  for  diametrically  opposite  modes 
of  treatment,  there  is  no  mode  of  overcoming  them, 
and  the  sitter  must  either  return  with  a  style  of  cos- 
tume in  harmony  with  the  photographic  exigencies  of 
the  face,  or  else  must  bo  satisfied  with  inferior  work. 

Difficulties  of  this  sort  will  be  much  more  felt  in  some 
galleries  than  in  others.  Those  who  have  perfect  means 
of  controlling  light  at  all  hours  of  the  day  by  large  and 
well-constructed  lattices  and  blinds,  will  be  less  troubled 
than  those  whose  appliances  are  imperfect.  Such  re- 
medies are,  however,  but  palliative,  and  cannot  ever 
take  the  place  of  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  effects 
of  quick  and  slow  developments. 


18  PRODUCTION   OF    HARMONIOUS   NEGATIVES. 

THE    DEVELOPER. 

It  results  incontestably  from  the  foregoing  that  the 
system  of  using  one  developer  for  all  purposes  is  radi- 
cally false  and  vicious.  It  is  almost  as  absurd  as  if  we 
were  to  adopt  a  fixed  time  of  exposure  and  keep  to  it, 
without  reference  to  the  amount  of  light  or  time  of  day. 
Surely  it  is  no  great  trouble  for  the  operator,  besides 
his  regular  strength  of  developer,  to  keep  beside  him  a 
portion  of  stronger  and  weaker  for  occasional  use  when 
the  peculiarities  of  the  sitter  demand  it. 

The  collo-developer  is  peculiarly  well  suited  for  these 
purposes,  because  the  pyrogallic  redevelopment  which 
messes  and  spoils  the  beautiful  iron  development  in 
bringing  it  up  to  printing  strength,  is  avoided,  and  the 
bringing  out  of  the  picture  proceeds  uniformly  and  har- 
moniously. But  the  principle  is  the  same  with  all. 
With  every  species  of  developer  there  will  be  strong 
and  weak  forms,  quick  and  slow  developments,  respec- 
tively applicable  to  the  cases  before  cited. 

In  conclusion,  it  is  earnestly  urged  upon  the  photo- 
grapher to  make  himself  familiar  with  the  principles  on 
which  the  whole  of  this  system  is  founded,  and  to  bear 
in  mind  constantly  these  cardinal  points :  that 

A  quick  development  gives  softness. 

A  slow  development  gives  brilliancy. 

A  quick  development  gives  detail  in  the  shadows. 

A  slow  development  gives  detail  in  the  high  lights. 

To  subdue  contrast,  use  a  strong  developer. 

To  heighten  contrast,  use  a  weak  developer. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Photography  may  be  said  to  have  presented  itself 
to  the  world  almost  without  introduction.  Consider- 
ably less  than  twenty  years  ago  sun  pictures  were  fii*st 
heard  of,  and  were  then  as  rare  as  they  were  wonderful. 
They  had  scarcely  ceased  to  be  regarded  as  curiosities, 
before  society  was  flooded  with  them,  with  a  prodigality 
altogether  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  pictorial  art. 

Unfortunately,  improvement  in  style  has  scarcely 
kept  pace  with  prolificacy  of  production;  and  in  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  art,  quantity  is  but  a  poor  substitute 
for  quality.  This  tardiness  in  improvement  is,  perhaps, 
not  difficult  to  understand.  Photography  is  the  off- 
spring of  science,  not  of  art;  and  artists  have  felt  much 
disposed  to  regard  it  as  an  illegitimate  upstart  trench- 
ing upon  their  province,  and  claiming  a  large  share  of 
what  art  had  hitherto  regarded  as  its  inalienable  in- 
heritance. They  have  thus  looked  upon  it  with  some- 
thing of  the  same  spirit  with  which  handicraftsmen  in 
the  mechanical  trades,  have  ever  regarded  the  progress 
of  the  machinery  which  promised  to  declare  their  occu- 
pation gone.  Standing  apart,  they  have  watched  with 
sullen  jealousy  its  progress,  and  marked  with  satis- 
faction its  deficiencies,  in  some  of  the  essentials  of  their 
art.  Meanwhile,  scientific  men  have  devoted  them- 
selves to  simplifying  the  processes  and  improving  the 


20  PRINCIPLES    AND    PRACTICE   OP   COLORING. 

machinery  requisite  for  its  practice.  Competitive  com- 
merce has  contributed  its  quota  in  cheapening  the 
materials  and  apparatus;  and,  fascinated  b}r  the  facili- 
ties thus  afforded  of  securing  pictorial  representations 
of  anything  and  everything,  animate  or  inanimate, 
thousands  of  votaries  have  given  themselves  up  to  the 
new  study  with  an  ardor  and  enthusiasm  which  have 
only  been  equalled  by  their  utter  ignorance  of  true  art 
or  its  requirements.  Nay,  more ;  many  carried  away 
by  the  strong  parental  instinct  as  regarded  their  photo- 
graphic bantlings,  and  transported  by  the  beauties  of 
their  own  handiwork,  have  been  ready  to  defy  their 
artistic  challengers,  and  lay  down  new  canons  of  picto- 
rial beauty,  "believing,"  as  a  recent  writer  caustically 
remarks,  "that  art  has  hitherto  been  but  a  blundering 
groper  after  that  truth  which  the  cleanest  and  precisest 
photography  in  their  hands  was  now  destined  to  re- 
veal !" 

Presuming  that  the  majority  of  the  readers  of  these 
pages  are  photographers,  professional  or  amateur,  them- 
selves producing  the  pictures  they  wish  to  color,  we 
think  it  desirable,  at  the  outset,  to  urge  upon  their  at- 
tention the  importance  of  greater  artistic  culture  than 
most  of  them  have  hitherto  possessed,  or  deemed  neces- 
sary. A  cardinal  blunder  with  them  has  been  the  sup- 
position that  a  good  photograph  must  necessarily  be  a 
perfect  representation  of  nature,  and  that  such  an  im- 
itation of  nature  as  the  photograph  presented  must  be 
the  highest  triumph  of  art.  Passing  by,  for  the  present 
the  first  assumption,  or,  for  the  moment,  for  argument's 
sake,  admitting  it  to  be  true,  we  must  submit  that 
nature  has  many  aspects,  but  not  all  equally  beautiful. 
As  regards  portraiture,  the  living  model  is  seen  in  ever- 
shifting  positions,  and  ever-varying  aspects  of  light  and 


INTRODUCTION.  21 

.shade,  very  tew  of  which,  however,  it  may  be,  would 
be  suitable  for  portraiture,  notwithstanding  they  are 
all  natural.  That  a  portrait  should  be  what  some  call 
natural,  does  not,  therefore,  by  any  means  imply  that 
it  is  perfect  as  a  picture.  It  may  be  natural  that  a  per- 
son should  at  some  time  wink,  smirk,  or  frown;  that  he 
should  occasionally  stoop,  loll,  or  stretch  himself;  but 
no  one  would  for  a  moment  dream  of  perpetuating 
these  actions  in  a  portrait.  Notwithstanding,  we  have 
seen  many  photographic  portraits  in  positions  little 
better.  Sitters  placed  upon  a  chair  bolt  upright,  with 
head,  body,  and  limbs  in  one  line,  a  hand  thrust  forward 
sprawling  on  each  knee,  all  arranged  with  such  ac- 
curacy that  if  the  figure  were  cleft  down  the  middle, 
the  halves  would  weigh  the  same  to  a  fraction !  The 
expression  accompanying  this  position  being  generally 
either  one  of  the  most  listless  fatuity,  or  with  every 
muscle  on  the  strain,  the  eyes  glaring  and  the  features 
contracted  to  a  most  diabolical  frown,  the  idea  is  con- 
veyed that  the  sitter  is  just  gathering  his  energies  for 
a  fatal  spring  upon  some  victim.  Others,  again,  care- 
fully avoiding  these  enormities  in  arranging  the  sitter, 
affect  positions  of  unstudied  ease  and  carelessness,  in 
which,  however,  everything  like  grace  or  dignity  is 
alike  wanting. 

Nature,  then,  having  such  varied  aspects,  the  aim  of 
the  true  artist  is  to  portray  her  in  such  aspects  as  best 
secure  the  embodiment  of  character  in  the  model,  com- 
bined with  pleasing  pictorial  effect.  It  is  here  that  the 
painter  possesses  a  great  advantage  over  the  photogra- 
pher. It  is  on  record  that  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence  had 
fifty  sittings  for  a  portrait  of  the  Duke  of  "Wellington, 
and  more  than  that  for  some  others.  Sir  Joshua  Rey- 
nolds had  fifty  sittings  from  Sir  George  Beaumont  for 

3 


22  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE    OF    COLORING. 

one  portrait  and  as  many  from  some  other  sitters.  It 
will  not  be  supposed  for  one  moment  that  all  this  time 
was  required  for  producing  an  accurate  drawing  of  the 
model;  the  object  was,  to  embody  in  the  painting  that 
expression  which  should  most  happily  depict  the  char- 
acter of  the  sitter.  And  whilst  any  attempt  to  rival 
art  in  this  respect  would  be  as  foolish  as  useless,  there 
is  no  reason  why  the  photographer,  who  desires  to  pro- 
duce something  beyond  mere  facial  maps  and  diagrams, 
should  not  understand  in  what  true  success  in  art  con- 
sists, and  also  attempt  to  approximate  in  some  degree 
thereto.  This  will  only  be  attained  by  aiming  at  a 
higher  standard  of  artistic  culture,  and  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  conditions  of  success.  A  happy  acci- 
dent, it  is  true,  even  in  ignorant  hands,  will  occasion- 
ally achieve  the  very  best  results,  somewhat  on  the 
principle  illustrated  by  the  story  in  Pliny,  where  the 
throwing  of  a  brush  charged  with  color  at  the  canvas, 
finished  the  foam  on  a  horse's  mouth  so  that  it  could 
not  be  improved.  The  painter  might  almost  as  well 
expect  a  successful  repetition  of  this  experiment,  as  the 
photographer  without  artistic  knowledge  and  feeling  to 
produce  uniformly  good  results. 

The  photographer  must  not  only  give  up  his  favorite 
notion,  that  he  has  only  to  depict  Nature  to  succeed, 
but  also  that  the  most  perfect  photograph  is  necessarily 
an  accurate  reproduction  of  Nature  as  she  is  seen.  The 
best  product  of  the  camera,  unaided  by  art,  is  often 
very  far  indeed  from  being  a  transcript  of  Nature.  The 
principles  of  photography,  both  chemical  and  optical, 
combine  to  render  this  inevitable.  The  intense  photo- 
genic action  of  some  colors,  and  the  almost  entire 
absence  of  such  action  in  others,  chemically,  and  the 
necessarily  undue   enlargement   of  advancing  objects 


INTRODUCTION.  23 

and  diminution  of  retiring  ones,  mechanically,  combine 
to  remove  the  photograph  as  far  from  Nature  as  many 
imagine  the  painting  to  be;  the  difference  being,  that 
whilst  it  is  the  province  of  art  to  soften  peculiarities, 
photography  very  often  exaggerates  them.  The  incip- 
ient wrinkle  or  trifling  scar,  which  in  nature  is,  it  may 
be,  hid  by  the  brilliancy  of  complexion;  the  slight 
freckle,  which  to  the  eye  varies  so  little  from  the  general 
tint  of  the  skin  as  scarcely  to  excite  observation,  are  at 
once  searched  out  by  the  one  huge  cyclopean  eye  of  the 
camera,  and  rendered  with  uncompromising  distinct- 
ness in  black  and  white.  The  red  or  golden  tresses  ap- 
pear with  raven  blackness,  whilst  the  blue  eye,  which 
in  the  photograph  is  as  coloidoss  as  water,  seems  to 
have  lost  in  depth  of  color  what  the  hair  has  gained.* 
The  most  enthusiastic  photographer  has  often  felt  his 
failure  here,  and  has  here  acknowledged  that  the  aid  of 
art,  in  coloring,  is  pre-eminently  needed.  Again,  it  is  a 
principle  of  art  that  the  most  important  part  of  a  picture 
should  be  best  done;  that  in  a  portrait  other  parts 
should  be  so  subordinated  as  to  give  due  prominence  to 
the  head;  and  herein  it  is  true  to  Nature.  It  is  on  the 
faces  of  those  around  us  we  look,  whether  we  speak  or 
listen;  it  is  there  we  look  for  the  varying  expression 
and  development  of  character;  and  it  would  speak  little 
for  any  of  whom  in  their  absence  Ave  remembered  more 
of  their  dress  than  face.  Photography,  however,  in 
its  most  perfect  forms,  knows  no  such  discrimination. 

*  This  difficulty  in  the  rendering  of  blue  and  other  light  eyes,  has 
latterly  been  overcome  in  Germany,  by  making  an  extremely  small  trans- 
parent spot  in  the  centre  of  the  iris,  and  corresponding  with  the  pupil  on 
the  negative,  by  means  of  an  engraver's  needle.  The  effect  is  said  to  be 
wonderful  with  light  eyes  in  the  increase  of  expression,  and  to  be  even 
valuable  with  dark  ones.  M.  C.  L. 


24  PRINCIPLES   AND    PRACTICE    OF    COLORING. 

Every  button,  fold,  and  flounce  is  distinctly  portrayed; 
the  varying  texture  of  silk  or  satin,  velvet  or  cloth,  is 
rendered  with  surprising  accuracy;  whilst  the  head,  if 
not  certainly  worse  done  than  the  rest,  is  often  worse 
in  proportion,  so  that  it  appears  no  more  important 
than,  if  not  really  subordinate  to,  the  other  parts  of  the 
picture.  A  painting  of  this  description  once  under 
criticism  received  its  due  meed  of  praise;  the  several 
parts  were  separately  commended,  the  position,  the 
draperies,  &c,  after  which  the  critic  exclaimed:  "Why, 
bless  me,  here's  a  head  too!" 

In  thus  referring  to  the  defects  of  photographic 
pictures,  we  must  not  be  understood  to  depreciate  pho- 
tography; we  simply  insist  on  the  necessity  of  the 
artistic  element  in  applying  it.  We  deny  entirely  that 
photographic  portraits  necessarily  represent  the  sitter 
as  having  just  gazed  on  the  Gorgon's  head.  Let  the 
photographic  operator,  whilst  availing  himself  of  every 
improvement  in  manipulation,  acquaint  himself  with 
the  laws  by  which  the  painter  secures  the  semblance  of 
nature;  let  him  learn  how  to  arrange  his  subject  and 
choose  his  point  of  view;  how  to  secure  a  proper  balance 
of  light  and  shade;  in  short,  how  to  produce  a  picture, 
instead  of  a  mere  diagram.  Let  him  remember  also, 
that  although  many  of  his  sitters  may  be  disposed  to 
use  the  words  of  Oliver  Cromwell — "  Paint  me  as  I  am, 
warts,  and  wrinkles,  and  all" — that  no  one  will  wish 
the  warts  to  appear  as  wens,  nor  the  wrinkles  as  seams 
and  scars.  Let  him  study  the  productions  of  the  great 
masters  in  painting,  both  for  position,  drapery,  dis- 
position of  light  and  shade,  and  coloring.  A  portrait 
secured  under  the  best  conditions  of  photography, 
guided  by  art,  will  be  worthy  of  the  best  efforts  of  the 
colorist,  and  may,  in  his  hands,  fairly  rival  the  finest 
miniature  painting. 


THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  HARMONIOUS 
COLORING. 


We  have  already  shown  that  a  photograph,  perfect 
as  regards  its  mechanical  and  chemical  results,  may  be 
very  imperfect  as  a  work  of  art.  It  is  scarcely  neces- 
sary to  add,  that  sufficient  taste  and  judgment  may  be 
used  in  its  production,  in  the  arrangement  of  position, 
and  the  distribution  of  light  and  shade,  to  entitle  it  to 
the  name  of  a,  picture;  but  it  may  be  very  imperfect  as 
a  portrait.  The  effect  of  color  is  in  many  cases  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  anything  like  a  faithful  rendering  of 
the  original. 

To  produce  good  results  in  coloring,  it  is  not  simply 
necessary  to  possess  the  manipulatory  skill  to  imitate 
with  some  success  the  color  of  the  original.  A  first 
requisite  in  the  education  of  a  painter  is  a  knowledge 
of  the  value  of  his  colors — of  their  relations  and  har- 
monies— and  of  their  effects  in  combination  and  juxta- 
position. As  in  music,  an  utterly  inexhaustible  world 
of  beauty  and  delight  results  from  the  varied  combina- 
tions and  sequence  of  seven  different  notes,  so  in  paint- 
ing, a  source  of  beauty  scarcely  more  limited,  results 
from  the  combination  and  arrangement  of  three  primary 
colors;  and  in  painting,  as  in  music,  the  beauty  does 
not  consist  in  any  one  color,  any  more  than  it  does  in 

3* 


26  PRINCIPLES    AND    PRACTICE    OP    COLORING. 

any  single  note,  but  in  the  relation  it  is  made  to  bear  to 
others. 

It  is  true  that  the  province  of  the  portrait  painter  is, 
perhaps,  more  limited  in  this  respect  than  that  of  the 
painter  of  works  of  fancy  and  imagination,  or  even 
than  that  of  the  landscape  painter;  whilst  the  scope  of 
the  colorist  of  photographic  pictures  is  most  limited  of 
all;  still,  without  some  knowledge  of  the  principles  of 
harmonious  coloring,  he  can  scarcely  hope  to  even  ap- 
proximate to  the  best  results.  And  whilst  in  portrait- 
ure, in  many  points,  the  painter  is  bound  to  reproduce, 
as  nearly  as  possible,  the  colors  inherent  in  his  model, 
yet  in  the  choice  of  color  for  draperies,  backgrounds, 
&c,  more  latitude  is  admissible;  and  here  he  will  avail 
himself  of  such  analogies  or  contrasts  of  color  as,  whilst 
producing  a  harmonious  whole,  give  value  and  effect  to 
the  colors  of  the  complexion.  To  aid  the  colorist  in 
this  respect,  we  shall  give  a  very  brief  compendium  of 
the  leading  principles  pertaining  to  this  subject,  con- 
fining ourselves  to  their  bare  statement  with  as  little 
comment  as  possible. 

The  source  of  all  color  is  light,  and  a  beam  of  white 
light  is  divisible  into  three  separate  rays, — blue,  yellow, 
and  red.  These  constitute  the  three  primary  colors,  and 
by  their  combinations  every  possible  hue  is  attainable. 
White  light,  when  decomposed  by  passing  through  a 
prism,  gives  what  is  called  the  solar  spectrum,  which 
consists  of  the  seven  colors  seen  in  the  rainbow,  ai*- 
ranged  in  the  following  order :  violet,  indigo,  blue, 
green,  yellow,  orange,  and  red;  and  hence  it  was  at  one 
time  supposed  that  each  of  these  was  an  elemental 
color.  Subsequent  observation  has  shown,  however, 
that  all  but  blue,  yellow,  and  red  were  formed  by  these 
impinging  upon  or  overlapping  each  other. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   HARMONIOUS    COLORING.  27 

These  colors  in  their  varied  combinations  are  called 
hues.  These  hues  when  weakened  by  admixture  with 
white,  are  called  tints;  and  when  deepened  by  admix- 
ture with  black,  are  called  shades.  The  various  grada- 
tions of  tints  and  shades  of  one  color  form  a  scale. 

The  presence  in  happy  proportions  of  the  three  pri- 
mary colors  or  their  combinations,  in  a  picture,  produces 
harmony. 

Any  two  primary  colors  mixed  in  certain  proportions 
produce  a  secondary  color,  which  is  complementary  to  the 
remaining  primary  color:  thus,  the  mixture  of  blue 
and  yellow  produces  green,  which  is  complementary  to 
red.  The  mixture  of  yellow  and  red  produces  orange, 
which  is  complementary  to  blue.  The  mixture  of  red 
and  blue  produces  purple,  which  is  complementary  to 
yellow.  This  may  be  seen  by  trying  the  experiment 
suggested  by  the  following  diagram : 


Divide  a  circle  into  six  equal  parts,  numbered  1,  2,  3, 
4,  5,  6,  like  the  diagram.      Let  the  spaces  1,  2,  3,  be 


28      PEINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OP  COLORING. 

colored  blue;  3,  4,  5,  yellow;  and  5,  6,  1,  red.  It  will 
be  seen  that  the  space  1  is  now  colored  purple  by  the 
combination  of  red  and  blue,  and  that  it  is  placed  op- 
posite to  its  complementary,  the  remaining  primary, 
yellow.  The  space  3  is  colored  green  by  the  combina- 
tion of  blue  and  yellow,  and  is  opposite  its  comple- 
mentary, the  remaining  primary,  red.  The  space  5  is 
colored  orange  by  the  mixture  of  yellow  and  red,  and 
is  opposite  its  complementary,  blue. 

These  combinations  may  be  carried  to  an  almost  un- 
limited extent,  with  similar  results.  Thus  the  combi- 
nation of  any  two  secondary  colors  will  produce  a 
tertiary,  which  is  complementary  to  the  remaining 
secondary.  For  instance,  the  mixture  of  orange  and 
green  produces  citrine,  which  is  complementary  to 
purple ;  purple  and  green  produce  olive,  which  is  com- 
plementary to  orange;  purple  and  orange  produce  rus- 
set, which  is  complementary  to  green,  and  so  on. 

This  statement  of  the  relation  of  colors  is  not  arbi- 
trary, nor  the  result  of  taste  or  fancy;  but  is  based  on 
absolute  inherent  principles.  They  exist  as  a  physical 
necessity  of  the  organs  of  vision,  as  may  be  ascertained 
by  a  few  simple  experiments.  If,  for  instance,  a  red 
wafer  be  placed  on  a  sheet  of  white  paper,  and  the  eye 
steadily  fixed  on  it  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  removed 
to  another  part  of  the  paper,  a  similar  spot  will  appear 
before  the  eye,  but  of  the  complementary  color  to  red, 
green.  This  spot,  called  an  ocular  spectrum,  will  con- 
tinue for  a  few  moments  until  it  is  gradually  displaced 
by  the  white  light  reflected  by  the  paper.  If  the  ex- 
periment be  tried  with  a  blue  wafer,  the  color  of  the 
resulting  spectrum  will  be  orange;  if  with  a  yellow 
wafer,  a  purple  spectrum  is  the  result,  and  so  on  with 
the  others. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   HARMONIOUS   COLORING. 


29 


This  principle  applies  to  every  variety  and  combina- 
tion of  tint;  if  a  red  inclines  a  little  to  yellow,  as  in 
scarlet,  then  the  complementary  green  will  incline  a 
little  to  blue,  and  become  a  bluish  green.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  red  incline  a  little  to  blue,  as  in  crimson, 
the  complementary  will  incline  a  little  to  yellow,  and 
become  a  yellowish  green.  These  combinations  may 
be  so  multiplied  by  gradations  so  delicate  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  enumerate  them. 

The  nature  of  their  relations  may,  however,  be  illus- 
trated by  the  following  diagram,  in  which  the  comple- 
mentary of  each  color  will  be  found  in  the  space  directly 
opposite  to  it;  each  pair  yielding  an  harmonious  balance 
of  the  three  primary  colors : 


Green  Blue. 
Blue  Green 


Violet  Blue. 

^\     Blue  Purple. 


Green, 


Yellow  Green. 


Green  Yellow. 


Yellow 


Purple  Red. 


Orange  Yellow. 

Yellow  Orange 


Red  Orange. 
Orange  Red. 


Each  pair  of  colors,  consisting  of  a  primary  and  its 
complementary   secondary,  present,  also,  special   con- 


30  PRINCIPLES   AND    PRACTICE   OF   COLORING. 

trasts  peculiar  to  themselves.  Thus  blue  is  the  coldest 
color,  and  is  also  the  most  retiring;  and  orange,  its 
complementary,  is  the  warmest  color,  and  the  most  ad- 
vancing. Every  combination  of  color,  as  it  approxi- 
mates to  orange  or  blue,  is  warm  or  cold  in  its  effect, 
and  has  the  appearance  of  approaching  the  eye  or 
receding  from  it  in  a  picture. 

Yellow  is  the  brightest  color,  and  most  allied  to 
light;  while  its  complementary,  purple,  is  the  darkest 
of  colors.  "We  may  here  remark,  that  white  and  black, 
which  most  completely  contrast  as  light  and  darkness, 
are  not  regarded  as  colors;  white,  which  is  most  like 
light,  being  supposed  to  represent  a  combination  of  all 
colors;  and  black,  like  darkness,  an  absence  of  both 
color  and  light. 

Red  is  the  most  positive  and  exciting  of  all  colors; 
whilst  its  complementary,  green,  is  the  most  soothing 
of  all  colors. 

It  will  be  observed,  that  whilst  each  combination  of 
two  primary  colors  produces  a  new  and  perfect  hue, 
each  subsequent  combination  tends  to  produce  neutral- 
ity; the  neutral  tints  formed  partaking,  however,  more 
or  less  of  the  special  characteristics  of  the  primaries  to 
which  they  are  most  allied. 

Complementary  colors  in  juxtaposition  mutually  en- 
rich each  other,  and  produce  what  is  called  the  harmony 
of  contrast.  Thus,  purple  and  yellow  of  equal  purity 
and  intensity  become  each  brighter  from  contact  with 
the  other,  the  yellow  becoming  intensified  by  the  extra 
yellow  rays  reflected  by  the  purple,  and  the  purple 
gaining  an  accession  of  richness  from  the  purple  rays 
given  out  by  the  yellow.  From  the  same  cause,  neutral 
tints  placed  in  juxtaposition  with  full  hues  appear  to  be 
tinged  with  the  complementary  colors  of  such  hues. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   HARMONIOUS    COLORING.  31 

Thus,  gray  placed  in  juxtaposition  with  rod  will  assume 
the  appearance  of  greenish  gray,  green  being  the  com- 
plementary of  red. 

Colors  not  complementary  to  each  other  are  mutually 
injured  by  contact.  Thus,  blue  and  purple  placed  to- 
gether are  both  injured;  the  blue  becoming  greenish 
from  the  yellow  rays  emitted  by  the  purple,  and  the 
purple  assuming  a  russet  tinge  from  the  orange  rays 
reflected  b}T  the  blue.  It  will  be  seen  from  this  that 
neutral  tints  placed  in  contact  with  full  hues  should  in- 
cline to  the  complementary  of  such  hues,  in  order  to 
produce  the  best  effect.  Thus,  olive  placed  in  contact 
with  yellow  should,  to  produce  the  best  effect,  incline 
to  purple  rather  than  to  green,  purple  being  the  com- 
plementary of  yellow. 

Besides  the  effect  produced  by  the  contrast  of  hue, 
that  resulting  from  contrast  of  intensity  is  to  be  con- 
sidered. If  two  tints  of  the  same  color,  but  of  different 
degrees  of  depth  or  intensity,  are  placed  side  by  side, 
the  deep  tint  will  appear  still  deeper,  whilst  the  light 
tint  will  appear  still  lighter,  the  difference  in  intensity 
appearing  greatest  at  the  points  of  contact.  Contrast- 
ing colors,  also,  of  different  degrees  of  intensity,  receive 
a  double  modification  by  contact;  in  brilliancy  of  hue, 
as  before  described,  and  also  in  intensity,  the  deepest 
color  appearing  still  deeper,  and  the  least  intense  ap- 
pearing still  more  diluted.  Hence  all  colors  gain  depth 
by  contact  with  white,  the  white  assuming  the  comple- 
mentary tint  of  the  color  near  it.  Black,  on  the  con- 
trary, has  the  effect  of  weakening  the  colors  in  its  imme- 
diate neighborhood.  The  effect  of  the  several  hues  on 
black  is  varied  in  like  manner,  its  depth  being  materi- 
ally modified  by  contact  with  colors  having  a  luminous 
complementary.      Thus,   black   in  juxtaposition   with 


32  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE    OF   COLORING. 

purple  loses  depth,  from  being  tinged  with  the  yellow 
rays  thrown  out  by  the  purple;  in  contact  with  blue  or 
green  it  becomes  rusty,  from  orange  or  red  rays  re- 
flected by  these  colors.  Black  is,  on  the  other  hand 
intensified  by  contrast  with  orange,  yellow  or  red.  The 
juxtaposition  of  gray,  which  is  a  mixture  of  white  and 
black,  gives  brilliancy  to  all  pure  colors. 

Besides  the  harmony  produced  by  judicious  contrast, 
there  is  the  harmony  of  analogy,  resulting  from  a  com- 
bination of  the  various  gradations  of  one  color  in  its 
own  scale,  or  of  the  hues  and  broken  tints  in  the  order 
in  which  they  occur  in  the  solar  spectrum.  An  infinity 
of  pleasing  results  may  be  obtained  by  the  judicious 
arrangement  of  analogous  tints  in  harmonious  relations; 
being  less  striking,  however,  it  requires  much  nicer  per- 
ceptions and  more  skilful  management  to  produce  happy 
effects. 

We  have  said  before  that  the  laws  which  regulate  har- 
monious coloring  are  not  dictated  by  fancy,  but  are  based 
on  inherent  and  absolute  relations.  We  may  here  re- 
mark, that  a  very  little  observation  of  Nature  will  afford 
pleasing  illustration  of  both  kinds  of  harmony.  A  strik- 
ing illustration  of  the  harmony  of  analogy  is  seen  in 
the  beautifully  blended  and  graduated  colors  of  the 
rainbow;  and  again,  in  almost  every  landscape,  where 
the  blue  of  the  distance  blends  with  the  cool  greens 
and  grays  of  the  middle  distance,  and  these  merge  into 
the  warmer  greens,  yellows,  and  browns  of  the  fore- 
ground; whilst,  if  the  sun  be  setting  in  the  landscape, 
every  object  is  beautified  by  the  play  of  golden  light 
and  purple  shadow.  With  instances  of  the  harmony  of 
contrast,  Nature  teems,  in  every  garden,  field,  and 
moor,  as  the  damask  rose  with  its  yellowish  green  leaf, 
the  scarlet  holly-berry  and  its  deep  green  foliage,  and 


PRINCIPLES   OF   HARMONIOUS   COLORING.  33 

the  almost  unvaried  mingling  of  yellow  gorse  and  pur- 
ple heather. 

In  applying  these  principles  to  the  coloring  of  por- 
traits, it  may  be  well  to  remember  that  M.  Chevreul,* 
whose  researches  in  the  subject  entitle  him  to  the 
highest  position  as  an  authority,  in  treating  of  the  har- 
mony of  colors  as  pertaining  to  the  complexion,  regards 
the  blonde  or  fair  complexion  as  always  more  or  less 
allied  to  an  orange  tint  throughout;  "the  color  of  light 
hair,"  he  says,  "  being  essentially  the  result  of  a  mix- 
ture of  red,  yellow,  and  brown,  we  must  consider  it  as 
a  very  pale  orange  brown."  By  this,  of  course,  we  only 
understand  that  orange  is  the  full  hue  to  which  blonde 
complexions  most  nearly  approximate.  In  what  is 
termed  decidedly  red  hair,  the  orange  is  certainly  de- 
cided enough,  as  also,  although  in  a  less  degree,  in 
auburn  and  chestnut  hair,  the  approximation  to  orange 
growing  less  decided  as  the  yellow  or  brown  tint  pre- 
vails. He  adds  :  "  The  color  of  the  skin,  although  of  a 
lower  tone,  is  analogous  to  the  hair,  except  in  the  red 
parts;  further,  blue  eyes  are  really  the  only  part  of  the 
fair  type  which  form  a  contrast  of  color  with  the  en- 
semble, for  the  red  parts  produce  with  the  rest  of  the 
skin  only  a  harmony  of  analogy  of  hue,  or  at  most  a 
contrast  of  hue,  not  of  colors;  and  the  parts  of  the 
skin  contiguous  to  the  hair,  the  eyebrows,  and  eye- 
lashes, give  rise  to  a  harmony  of  analogy,  either  of 
scale  or  of  hue.  The  harmonies  of  analogy,  then,  evi- 
dently predominate  in  the  fair  type  over  the  harmonies 
of  contrast."     "When  hazel  eyes  exist  in  the  fair  type, 

*  To  the  student  who  would  render  himself  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  subject,  we  recommend  M.  Chevreul's  work  on  "The  Simultaneous 
Contrasts  of  Colors,"  as  also  Mr.  Redgrave's  excellent  little  "Manual  of 
Color." 

4 


34  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE    OF   COLORING. 

as  is  not  unfrequently  the  case,  in  conjunction  with 
chestnut  hair,  the  harmony  of  analogy  is  complete.  In 
the  various  complexions  generally  classified  under  the 
term  brunette,  iu  which  black  or  dark  hair  prevails,  we 
have,  on  the  other  hand,  the  harmony  of  contrast  pre- 
vailing. "In  fact,"  observes  M.  Chevreul,  "the  hair, 
eyebrows,  and  eyes  contrast  in  tone  and  color,  not  only 
Avith  tbe  white  of  the  skin,  but  also  with  the  red  parts, 
which  in  this  type  are  really  redder,  or  less  rosy,  than 
in  the  blonde  type ;  and  we  must  not  forget  that  a  de- 
cided red  associated  with  black  gives  to  the  latter  the 
character  of  an  exceedingly  deep  color,  either  blue  or 
green. " 

A  proper  understanding  of  the  principles  we  have 
here  briefly  indicated  will  enable  the  colorist,  whilst 
preserving  fidelity  to  ^Nature  in  the  points  absolutely 
inherent  in  the  model,  at  the  same  time  to  so  manage 
the  draperies,  background,  &c,  as  to  give  value  to  the 
complexion,  and  produce  a  perfect  and  harmonious  pic- 
ture. 

The  versification  of  maxims  of  any  kind  is  such  an 
aid  to  the  memory  that  it  has  been  called  the  "  short- 
hand of  thought;"  and  we  shall  scarcely  need  to  refer 
to  the  trite  quotation  from  Fletcher  of  Saltoun,  in  which 
he  declares  that  the  verse  of  a  country  exercises  a 
higher  influence  than  its  laws,  to  justify  us  in  reprint- 
ing the  following  lines,*  which  aptly  embody  the  prin- 
ciples to  which  we  have  devoted  this  brief  chapter : 

*  The  lines  are  by  Henry  Hopley  White,  Esq.,  to  whose  courtesy  we 
are  indebted  for  permission  to  publish  them.  They  were  written  to  ac- 
company the  beautiful  diagram  illustrating  the  relations  of  colors,  which, 
by  Mr.  White's  permission,  appeared  as  a  frontispiece  to  the  first  edition 
of  this  work.  The  lines  and  colored  diagram  are  now  published  on  a 
separate  sheet  by  Mr.  Newman,  Soho  Square,  and  will  be  found  valuable 
for  use  in  schools,  and  by  all  students  of  color. 


RELATIONS   AND    HARMONIES   OP   COLOR.  35 


TJie  Relations  and  Harmonies  of  Color. 

Blue — Yellow — Red — pure  simple  colors  all 

(By  mixture  unobtained)  we  Primaries  call ; 

From  these,  in  various  combinations  blent, 

All  other  colors  trace  their  one  descent. 

Each  mixed  with  each — their  powers  combined  diffuse 

New  colors — forming  Secondary  hues  : 

Yellow  with  red  makes  Orange,  with  blue — Green; 

In  blue,  with  red  admixed,  is  Purple  seen. 

Each  of  these  hues  in  Harmony  we  find, 

When  with  its  complementary  combined  ; 

Orange  with  blue,  and  green  with  red,  agrees, 

And  purple  tints,  near  yellows,  always  please. 

These  secondaries  Tertiaries  produce, 

And  Citrine — Olive — Russet  introduce  ; 

Thus  green  with  orange  blended  forms  citrine, 

And  olive  comes  from  purple  mixed  with  green ; 

Orange,  with  purple  mixed,  will  russet  prove ; 

And,  being  subject  to  the  rule  above 

Harmonious  with  each  tertiary  we  view 

The  complemental  secondary  hue  : 

Thus  citrine — olive — russet  harmonize 

With  purple — orange — green,  their  true  allies. 

These  hues,  by  white  diluted,  Tints  are  made  ; 

By  black,  are  deepened  into  darkest  Shade. 

Pure  or  combined,  the  primaries  all  three, 

To  satisfy  the  eye,  must  present  be ; 

If  the  support  is  wanting  but  of  one, 

In  that  proportion  harmony  is  gone: 

Should  red  be  unsupported  by  due  share 

Of  blue  and  yellow  pure — combined  they  are 

In  green — which  secondary,  thus  we  see, 

The  harmonizing  medium  of  all  three. 

Yellow  for  light  contrasts  dark  purple's  hue, 

Its  complemental,  formed  of  red  and  blue. 

Red  most  exciting  is — let  Nature  tell 

How  grateful  is,  and  soothing,  green's  soft  spell. 


36  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE    OP   COLORING. 

So  blue  retires — beyond  all  colors  cold, 

While  orange  warm — advancing  you  behold. 

The  union  of  two  primaries  forms  a  hue 

As  perfect  and  decided  as  'tis  new ; 

But  all  the  mixtures  which  all  three  befall 

Tend  to  destroy  and  neutralize  them  all ; 

Nay,  mix  them — three  parts  yellow — five  of  red- 

And  eight  of  blue — then  colors  all  are  fled. 

When  primaries  are  not  jnire — you'll  surely  see 

Their  complementals  change  in  due  degree  ; 

If  red  (with  yellow)  to  a  scarlet  tend, 

Some  blue  its  complemental  green  will  blend ; 

So  if  your  red  be  crimson  (blue  with  red), 

Your  green  with  yellow  would  be  varied ; 

If  yellow  tends  to  orange,  then  you  find 

Purple  (its  complement)  to  blue  inclined  ; 

But  if  to  blue  it  leans,  then  mark  the  change, 

Nearer  to  red  you  see  the  purple  range. 

If  blue  partakes  of  red — the  orange  then 

To  yellow  tends  ;  if  yellowish — you  ken 

The  secondary  orange  glows  with  red. 

Keader,  farewell !  my  lesson  now  is  said. 


WATEE  COLOES. 

The  colors  required  for  coloring  photographs  are  the 
same  as  are  used  for  miniature  painting,  with  such  dif- 
ference in  their  combinations  as  the  tone  of  the  photo- 
graph renders  necessary.  The  following  list  comprises 
all  that  are  necessary.  If  used  perfectly  pure,  they  will 
not  injure  the  photograph. 

Carmine. — This  is  a  brilliant  red,  inclining  to  crim- 
son, very  clear  in  its  pale  washes,  and  intense  in  its  full 
touches.  Being  somewhat  fugitive,  it  requires  using 
with  caution  in  flesh  tints. 


WATER    COLORS.  37 

Burnt  Carmine  is  a  rich  deep  crimson,  very  useful 
in  the  deepest  touches  of  drapery. 

Eose  Madder. — A  most  valuable  color  for  flesh ;  its 
pale  washes  are  delicate,  clear,  and  transparent,  and 
very  permanent.  r 

Pink  Madder. — Similar,  hut  a  little  deeper  in  tint. 

Crimson  Lake. — Somewhat  similar  to  carmine,  but 
not  so  brilliant ;  chiefly  useful  in  draperies. 

Venetian  Eed. — A  beautiful  color  for  flesh;  works 
well,  and  is  permanent.  Its  pale  washes  are  very  clear, 
and,  slightly  modified  with  Indian  yellow,  it  forms,  in 
the  hands  of  the  miniature  painter,  a  valuable  general 
tint  for  most  complexions,  but  for  photographs  is  often 
too  deep. 

Light  Eed  is  similar  in  general  character,  but  more 
inclining  to  orange. 

Indian  Eed. — A  powerful  red  of  a  purplish  hue; 
works  well,  and  is  durable ;  useful,  alone  and  in  combi- 
nations, as  a  shadow  for  flesh. 

Vermilion.* — A  very  brilliant  red,  not  generally 
suitable  for  flesh  tints,  as  it  is  heavy,  and  does  not  wash 
well.  With  a  little  lake  it  is  useful  for  the  lower  lips  of 
children. 

Orange  Vermilion,  No.  2. — "Works  better  than  the 
preceding,  and,  as  its  name  imports,  has  a  slight  incli- 

*  The  propriety  of  using  this  color  in  connection  with  photography  is 
very  doubtful.  Sufficient  attention  has  not  been  paid  to  the  effect  of  pig- 
ment on  the  permanency  of  silver  prints,  and  it  is  certainly  safest  to  avoid 
all  those  whose  composition  suggests  the  slightest  tendency  to  lead  to 
fading.  M.  C.  L. 

4* 


38  PRINCIPLES    AND   PRACTICE   OP   COLORING. 

nation   to   yellow.     (This   color   of  Newman's   is   the 
nearest  approach  to  pure  scarlet  that  is  permanent.) 

Roman  Ochre. — Useful  for  dark  flesh,  as  well  as  for 
draperies.  It  is  also  used  in  combination  with  sepia  for 
light  hair. 

Yellow  Ochre. — Used  in  combination  for  light  hair, 
and  also  in  landscape  backgrounds. 

Indian  Yellow. — A  brilliant  and  intense  yellow, 
which  works  well.  From  its  purity  of  tint  it  is  a  most 
useful  yellow  for  mixing  in  flesh  tints.  For  many  pho- 
tographs, however,  it  is  too  intense. 

Cadmium  Yellow.* — A  very  brilliant  and  permanent 
yellow  for  draperies.     Useful  in  forming  orange  tints. 

Gamboge. — A  fine  rich  yellow,  useful  in  forming 
green  combinations;  washes  well,  but  is  not  suitable 
for  flesh. 

Lemon  Yellow. — A  beautiful  light,  vivid,  and  per- 
manent yellow,  useful  in  draperies  for  high  lights. 

Yellow  Lake. — A  bright  transparent  yellow,  but 
somewhat  fugitive. 

Italian  Pink. — A  very  similar  yellow,  to  the  preced- 
ing, but  deeper  and  richer. 

Naples  Yellow. — A  fine  light  yellow,  valuable  when 
mixed  with  pink  madder  as  a  general  wash  for  flesh ; 
and  alone,  where  a  body  color  is  required  for  the  high 
light.  Like  most  mineral  colors  it  is  injured  by  impure 
air,  from  which  the  picture  should  always  be  carefully 
protected. 

*  See  foregoing  remarks. — M.  C.  L. 


WATER   COLORS.  39 

Raw  Sienna. — A  brownish  yellow,  permanent,  and 
works  well.     Useful  in  backgrounds. 

Burnt  Sienna. — A  fine  transparent  brown  of  an 
orange  tint,  useful  in  warm,  dark  complexions,  and  in 
backgrounds. 

Brown  Madder. — A  rich  russet  brown,  permanent, 
and  works  well ;  useful  for  the  darkest  touches  in  flesh, 
and  for  lowering  red  draperies.  Combined  with  blue 
it  makes  a  delicate  gray,  useful  in  flesh  shadows. 

Burnt  Umber. — A  good  brown,  useful  for  hair,  dra- 
peries, and  backgrounds. 

Sepia. — A  cool  transparent  brown,  useful  alike  in  its 
pale  washes  and  full  touches.  Useful  for  hair,  either 
alone  or  in  combination.  With  lake,  or  lake  and  in- 
digo, it  forms  a  fine  transparent  black  for  the  shadows 
of  draperies  of  either  silken  or  woollen  texture. 

Warm  Sepia. — Similar  in  all  its  characteristics,  but 
of  warmer  tint. 

Vandyke  Brown. — A  fine  warm  brown.  From  its 
great  transparency  it  is  useful  in  glazing  many  other 
tints,  which  it  deepens  and  warms.  Care  is  required  in 
using  it,  as  it  is  apt  to  work  up  when  a  great  body  is 
used. 

Neutral  Tint. — A  useful  gray,  which  may  be  modi- 
fied for  almost  any  shadow  by  the  addition  of  other 
tints. 

Purple  Madder. — A  deep  warm  purple  of  great 
richness  and  intensity;  works  well,  and  is  permanent. 
Useful  for  very  deep  warm  shadows. 

French   Blue,  or   French   Ultramarine. — A  fine 


40  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE   OF   COLORING. 

blue,  very  nearly  resembling  the  tint  of  real  ultrama- 
rine, whilst  it  works  better.* 

Cobalt. — A  bright  permanent  blue,  which  enters 
largely  into  the  shadow  colors  of  flesh. 

Prussian  Blue. — A  deep  blue,  useful  in  draperies, 
and  forming  with  carmine  all  varieties  of  purple  and 
violet.  It  should  not  be  used  in  flesh,  as  it  is  apt  to 
turn  green. 

Indigo. — A  good  dark  blue,  useful  in  combination  for 
forming  a  variety  of  greens  for  backgrounds. 

Ivory  Black. — A  rich  transparent  black,  a  little  in- 
clining to  brown  in  its  washes. 

Chinese  White. — A  valuable  permanent  white,  of 
much  body,  and  working  well.  Useful  for  the  light  of 
eyes,  lace,  &c;  also  for  giving  body  in  draperies. 

BEUSHES,  &c. 

The  pencils  should  be  sables  of  moderate  size.  When 
charged  with  water  they  should  terminate  in  a  good 
point  with  no  uneven  hairs,  and  should  spring  well 
when  pressed  with  the  finger.  For  large  washes,  a  few 
good  camel  hair  pencils  will  be  necessary.  For  hatch- 
ing, a  sable,  the  point  of  which  has  been  worn  off,  may 
be  used.  Small  pencils  should  be  avoided,  as  tending 
to  give  a  feeble,  wiry  effect,  very  undesirable.  Good 
pencils  are  indispensable  to  comfort  in  working,  as  well 
as  to  the  production  of  perfect  results. 

*  Certainly  objectionable  in  its  tendencies  as  to  permanency  of  prints. 
The  blue  color  is  a  sulphur  compound,  from  which  sulphuretted  hydrogen 
is  disengaged  very  easily.  M.  C.  L. 


THE    PHOTOGRAPH.  41 

THE  PHOTOGKAPH:   TO  CHOOSE  AND 
PEEPAEE  IT. 

To  obtain  good  results  in  coloring,  it  is  necessaiy 
that  the  photograph  approximate  in  some  degree  to 
excellence.  It  is  important  that  the  distribution  of 
light  and  shade  in  the  picture  be  effective  and  natural, 
that  it  be  sharp  and  in  focus  throughout,  and  that  it  be 
a  clear,  bright,  well-defined  photograph. 

A  direct  vertical  light  for  the  production  of  the  por- 
trait should  be  avoided,  as  the  effect  of  ligbt  and  shadow 
so  produced  is  generally  unnatural;  the  intense  light  at 
the  top  of  the  head  often  giving  to  dark  glossy  hair  the 
appearance  of  grayness,  whilst  the  shadows  under  the 
eyes,  nose,  and  chin  are  unpleasantly  heavy.  A  portion 
of  skylight,  joining  a  side  light,  both  facing  the  north, 
will  give  the  best  picture.  The  sitter  should  be  placed 
back  a  little  from  under  the  skylight,  the  head  a  little 
quartering  from  the  side  light.  The  whole  figure  will 
be  then  well  illuminated;  the  deepest  shadow  on  the 
face  (we  are  now  speaking  of  the  three-quarter  view, 
which,  generally  speaking,  is  best)  will  be  on  the  re- 
tiring cheek;  whilst  the  partial  profile  will  be  well 
lighted  and  clearly  defined  on  the  shadowed  cheek. 
The  position  of  the  body  in  relation  to  the  head  is  a 
matter  of  taste.  When  the  head  and  body  are  both 
placed  in  one  direction,  the  effect  is  most  simple ;  whilst 
the  body  turned  in  one  direction,  and  the  head  in 
another,  gives  more  animation  to  the  figure.  Care 
must  be  taken,  however,  not  to  give  too  much  action  to 
the  figure,  or  to  give  it  a  strained  unnatural  posture. 

The  background  should  be  of  a  tint  somewhere  mid- 
way between  the  highest  lights  and  the  deepest  shadows 
of  the  picture,  in  order  to  give  due  relief  to  all  parts, 


42      PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OF  COLORING. 

and  produce  the  best  results  in  coloring.  If  the  sitter 
be  placed  a  few  feet  from  the  screen  used  for  a  back- 
ground, the  figure  will  possess  greater  relief.  Care 
should  be  taken  to  give  sufficient  space  for  background 
above  and  around  the  figure.  Nothing  looks  clumsier 
than  a  picture  with  scarcely  any  background,  as  though 
the  sitter  were  pinched  for  space.  The  position  of  the 
figure  on  the  background  is  the  only  means  of  sug- 
gesting the  size  and  proportions  of  the  model.  A  figure 
placed  high  on  the  plate  suggests  a  tall  person,  and  the 
figure  low  down  in  the  picture  a  short  one.  It  is  well 
to  avoid  crowding  the  background  with  useless  objects, 
as  columns,  curtains,  vases,  &c.  These,  if  necessary, 
can  be  painted  in  with  better  effect  than  if  taken  by 
the  camera.  A  background  should,  however,  be  de- 
voted to  repose,  in  order  to  give  effect  to  the  principal 
figure  or  object. 

The  photograph  should  be,  as  we  have  said,  clear, 
well-defined,  perfect,  brilliant,  and  not  too  dark,  and 
free  from  stains  and  spots.  If  the  picture  be  too  dark, 
it  will  be  impossible  to  produce  a  clean,  delicate  effect 
in  coloring.  For  water  colors,  the  tone  of  the  picture 
is  of  considerable  importance.  A  warm  neutral  tint  or 
gray  is  the  best  tone  for  coloring.  Heavy  shadows  of 
purple  brown,  or  of  an  inky  tone,  are  very  undesirable, 
from  the  want  of  harmony  between  these  tones  and 
the  natural  shadows  of  flesh.  For  fair  complexions  a 
light  impression  is  more  necessary  than  for  a  dark 
person,  but  too  deep  an  impression  is  in  no  case  suitable. 
At  the  same  time  it  must  be  remembered,  that  if  ■'the 
impression  is  so  light  that  the  half  tones  are  wanting, 
it  will  be  difficult  to  restore  them  in  coloring. 

The   first   step  in  preparing   the  photograph   is  to 


THE   PHOTOGRAPH.  43 

mount  it  on  card-board.*  For  this  purpose,  a  solution 
of  gelatine  or  clean  fresh  glue  should  be  used;  paste  or 
gum-water  should  be  avoided,  as  it  is  apt  to  generate 
acid  which  would  injure  the  photograph.  The  gelatine 
or  glue  should  be  brushed  over  the  back  of  the  photo- 
graph, which  should  then  be  laid  on  a  board.  The 
card-board  may  also  be  moistened,  to  prevent  the  warp- 
ing, but  this  is  not  necessary  if  the  gelatinized  photo- 
graph is  placed  on  the  board  at  the  right  moment.  A 
sheet  of  clean  paper  should  now  be  laid  on  the  surface 
and  then  pressed  gently  and  firmly  down;  the  picture 
should  then  be  put  under  a  weight. 

This  done,  its  further  preparation  will  depend  some- 
what on  the  process  by  which  it  was  produced.  As  the 
various  photographic  papers,  and  the  different  processes 
to  which  they  are  subjected  by  photographers,  yield 
almost  every  variety  of  surface,  it  is  impossible  to  lay 
down  any  universal  mode  of  procedure  in  preparing  the 

*  The  character  of  the  card-board  itself,  is  of  the  greatest  importance 
in  connection  with  the  permanence  of  the  photograph.  Paper  of  very  or- 
dinary quality  is  commonly  employed  for  making  card-board,  and  in  such, 
and  even  in  finer,  the  hyposulphite  of  soda,  or  anti-chlor  used  in  remov- 
ing the  chlorine  compound  with  which  the  paper  was  bleached,  is  often 
left  present  and  tends  to  act  destructively,  both  on  the  photograph  and  on 
the  colors  applied  upon  it.  It  will  be  very  difficult  to  obviate  this,  and 
in  fact,  it  maybe  said  without  hesitation,  that  no  print,  whether  intended 
to  be  colored  or  not,  if  thought  worthy  of  preservation,  should  be  mounted 
on  anything  but  tinted  card.  The  best  method  of  mounting  it  lies  in 
using  tinted  grounds,  and  for  the  following  reason.  The  hyposulphite, 
in  damp  weather,  dissolves  sufficiently  to  pass  by  capillary  attraction 
from  the  mount  to  the  print.  The  tinted  mounts  have  their  tints  printed 
with  stiff  lithographic  varnish,  composed  chiefly  of  boiled  linseed  oil, 
which,  when  dry,  imposes  a  most  valuable  obstacle  to  the  passage  of  any 
impurities  from  the  mount  to  the  print.  It  has  been  frequently  found, 
that  of  a  lot  of  prints  all  alike,  those  which  were  mounted  on  ordinary 
board  have  faded,  whilst  those  that  lay  by  unmounted  escaped. 

M.  C.  L. 


44  PRINCIPLES   AND    PRACTICE   OF    COLORING. 

surface   to  receive  water  colors.     We  may,  however, 
describe  the  surface  required. 

Many  photographers,  in  fixing  and  washing  their 
prints  on  salted  paper,  wash  them  in  boiling  water,  and 
thus  entirely  discharge  the  size  from  the  paper,  whilst 
others  do  this  in  a  partial  degree.  The  effect  of  this  is, 
that  water  colors  applied  to  the  unsized  surface  are  at 
once  absorbed,  rendering  it  impossible  to  work  with 
them.  To  apply  water  colors  to  paper  with  any  facility 
and  effect,  it  is  necessary  that  it  possess  a  sm-face  on 
which  the  colors  wash  easily,  sinking  in  just  sufficiently 
to  allow  other  colors  to  be  worked  over  them  without 
washing  up.  To  obtain  this  surface,  the  photograph 
will  invariably  require  some  preparation.  Some  color- 
ists  have  recommended  tbe  use  of  parchment  size,  with 
the  addition  of  a  little  alum. 


METHOD  OF  COLOEING. 

Although  the  coloring  of  photographs  differs  in  some 
essential  particulars  from  miniature  painting,  yet,  as 
both  the  manipulation  and  the  management  of  the 
colors  are  similar,  it  is  necessary  at  the  outset  for  the 
amateur  to  know  something  of  the  principles  on  which 
painting  in  water  colors  is  based. 

The  photographer  entirely  unacquainted  with  these 
principles  will  probably  be  surprised  to  ascertain  that, 
by  mixing  his  colors  to  the  desired  tint,  and  then 
simply  washing  them  on  to  his  photograph,  he  will 
produce  but  a  wofully  meagre  and  unsatisfactory  result. 
The  effect  would  be  little  better  than  a  flat,  insipid 
imitation  of  the  multitude  of  colored  prints  which 
abound  in  the  windows  of  stationer's  shops  about  the 


METHOD   OF   COLORING.  45 

14th  of  February.  There  is,  however,  scarcely  any 
part  of  a  human  face  so  flat  as  to  be  correctly  repre- 
sented by  a  simple  wash.  It  is  so  full  of  undulations 
that  the  gradations  of  light  and  shade  are  almost  innu- 
merable, and  these  gradations  between  the  high  lights 
and  deepest  shadows  are  known  as  "  pearly  tints," 
"  demi-tints,"  or  grays.  In  using  these,  and  indeed  all 
gradations  of  color,  upon  the  local  flesh-tint,  in  order 
to  obtain  transparency  and  depth,  it  is  necessary  to 
have  recourse  to  "  hatching"  or  "  stippling."  Hatching 
consists  in  working  on  the  color  in  short  strokes,  fol- 
lowing as  nearly  as  possible  the  form  of  the  features, 
that  is,  the  strokes  somewhat  horizontal  on  the  fore- 
head, and  circular  about  the  eyes,  mouth,  and  general 
contour.  These  strokes  are  then  crossed  with  similar 
ones,  avoiding,  however,  the  formation  of  direct  right 
angles.  This  should  be  done  with  a  firm  touch,  making 
each  little  stroke  as  even  as  possible.  Stippling  is  a 
somewrhat  similar  process,  only  fine  dots  with  the  point 
of  the  brush  are  used  instead  of  lines.  The  effect  in 
both  cases  is  to  give  depth  and  transparency,  and  at  the 
same  time  retain  greater  purity  of  tint  than  could  pos- 
sibly be  effected  by  any  washing  of  mixed  colors. 

The  amateur  would  do  well  at  the  outset  to  procure, 
if  possible,  a  few  well-painted  miniatures,  of  which  he 
should  then  obtain  photographic  copies.  These  he 
should  proceed  to  color,  carefully  copying  the  various 
tints  of  the  originals.  He  will,  by  this  means,  obtain  a 
knowledge  of  the  various  colors  used  in  producing  the 
desired  effect  in  the  original,  and  of  the  modifications 
of  these  colors  rendered  necessary  by  the  tone  of  his 
photograph. 

One  of  the  greatest  difficulties  the  beginner  will  meet 
with  is  this  want  of  harmony  in  many  cases  between 

5 


46      PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OF  COLORING. 

the  tone  of  the  photograph  and  shadow  tints  required 
in  the  colored  picture ;  and  as  both  perpetually  vary, 
no  rule  can  be  given  for  avoiding  the  difficulty.  We 
can  only  reiterate,  as  a  general  rule,  that  warm,  gray- 
toned  photographs  are  best  for  coloring;  that  for  fair 
persons,  especially  for  ladies  and  children,  a  light  im- 
pression, free  from  heavy,  abrupt  shadows,  but  perfect 
in  definition  and  half-tone  throughout,  is  best ;  for  dark 
persons,  especially  strongly  marked  men's  heads,  a  more 
vigorous  impression  may  be  used  with  advantage.  * 

The  novice  should  study  to  acquire  a  firm,  free  touch 
with  the  pencil.  Having  a  distinct  conception  of  the 
object  of  each  stroke,  endeavor  to  effect  that  object  by 
one  bold  touch  rather  than  by  several  hesitating  at- 
tempts. Remember,  that  in  water  colors  the  first  tints 
must  be  kept  pure  and  brilliant,  as  they  may  be  easily 
lowered  afterwards  to  any  required  tone ;  but  once  ren- 
dered dull  or  muddy-looking,  nothing  can  restore  their 
purity. 

At  the  risk  of  some  repetition,  we  will  add  to  these 
preliminary  remarks  a  score  of  maxims,  which  apply 
equally  to  every  mode  of  coloring,  whether  in  oil,  water, 
or  dry  colors.  The  colorist  will  do  well  to  store  them 
carefully  in  his  memory,  and  have  them  at  all  times 
ready  for  application : 

I.  Flesh,  as  it  retires  from  the  eye,  appears  to 

grow  colder  in  tone. 
II.  The  edges  of  all  cast  shadows  are  gray. 

III.  The  high  lights  of  flesh  should  be  of  a  yellow- 

ish-white. 

IV.  A  judicious  subordination  of  the  half-lights  to 

those   which    are    more   prominent   insures 
brilliancy. 


METHOD   OF   COLORING.  47 

V.  As  light  is  color,  every  gradation  to  shadow- 
is  a  gradation  from  color,  and  the  color  in 
shadows,   therefore,    should    never    be   too 
bright. 
VI.  Local  colors  are  not  found  either  in  high  lights 

or  shadows. 
VII.  Cold  colors,  or  those  approximating  to  blue, 
retire. 
VIII.  Warm     colors,    or    those    approximating    to 
oi*ange,  advance. 
IX.  Contrasts   give   brilliancy  of  effect,  but  they 

should  never  be  violent  or  inharmonious. 
X.  The  style  of  execution  should  vary  with  the 
subject  to  aid  in  expressing  character;  vigor- 
ous and  bold  in  a  man,  delicate  and  tender 
in  a  woman. 
XI.  Colors  should  be  laid  with  as  little  rubbing  with 
the  brush  as  possible,  to  keep  them  fresh  and 
bright. 
XII.  Avoid  harshness.     Let  every  line  be  softened, 
for  in  nature  there  are  no  real  outlines,  al- 
though the  boundary  of  sight  is  distinctly 
marked. 

XIII.  Keep  all  cast  shadows  of  one  tone,  and  always 

warm    (except   at   the    edges),   varying,  of 
course,  with  the  local  tint. 

XIV.  Keep  reflected  lights  warm,  unless  the  object 

from  which  they  are  derived  is  visible ;  in 
that  case,  they  partake  of  its  especial  color. 
XV.  Where  the  outline  of  a  figure  is  ungraceful,  it 
may  judiciously  be  lost  to  some  extent  in  the 
shadow  of  the  background. 
XVI.  Massing  lights  and  shadows  together  will  in- 
sure breadth  and  grandeur  of  effect.    A  skil- 


48  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE   OP   COLORING. 

fully-managed  background  will  greatly  aid 
in  this  respect. 
XVII.  Carefully  preserve  transparency  in  the  shadows. 
XVIII.  Colors  should  be  kept  pure  and  transparent, 
truthful  to  the  subject,  and  harmonious  both 
with  each  other  and  the  nature  of  the  pic- 
ture. 
XIX.  Every  part  of  the  background  should  appear  to 
retire  from  the  figure,  which  should  never 
seem  to  be  cut  in  or  inlaid. 
XX.  The  most  careful  manipulation  and  elaborate 
finish  will  be  tame  and  ineffective  without  a 
perpetual  attention  to  the  proper  preserva- 
tion of  breadth  of  light  and  shade. 

A  constant  reference  to  the  duplicate  photograph 
will  enable  the  colorist  to  preserve  the  likeness  in  his 
picture:  and  constant  attention  to  these  maxims  will 
enable  him  to  give  it  some  value  as  a  work  of  art. 

TO  PAINT  THE  HEAD. 

The  photograph  being  prepared,  ascertain  that  it  is 
in  a  condition  to  receive  the  color  by  tiying  one  corner. 
If  the  color  be  absorbed  too  much,  another  sizing  will 
be  desirable;  but  whilst  a  slight  absolution  of  the  color 
renders  more  care  necessary,  it  has  the  advantage  of 
enabling  the  artist  to  gain  depth  and  transparency,  by 
working  over  his  previous  painting  without  disturbing 
the  color. 

The  photograph  should  be  placed  on  a  small  desk,  the 
light  falling  on  it  from  the  left  hand.  A  piece  of  clean 
paper  should  be  kept  over  the  lower  part,  on  which  to 
rest  the  hand  whilst  painting  the  head,  otherwise  it 


TO   PAINT    THE    IIEAD.  49 

will  get  greased  with  the  hand,  and  receive  the  color 
with  difficulty.  A  duplicate  copy,  well  and  strongly- 
defined,  should  always  be  immediately  at  hand  for  con- 
stant reference. 

In  setting  the  palette  for  flesh,  the  miniature-painter 
generally  uses  for  the  local  color  a  wash  of  Venetian  red 
and  Indian  yellow.  This  is  not,  however,  found  most 
suitable  for  the  same  purpose  in  coloring  photographs; 
the  slightly  yellow  hue  of  the  lights  of  many  photo- 
graphs rendering  this  combination  too  intense.  Naples 
yellow,*  with  a  little  madder  pink,  will  be  found  more 
useful  for  the  general  wash,  the  slight  opacity  of  Na- 
ples yellow  having  a  good  effect  in  softening  the  harsh- 
ness of  the  shadows  too  common  in  many  photographs. 
It  is  necessary  here  to  remark,  that  there  are  two  tints 
of  Naples  yellow  sold,  one  of  a  greenish  tone,  and  the 
other  more  cream-colored;  it  is  the  latter  we  are  now 
recommending. 

Commence  by  giving  the  retiring  shadows  of  the 
forehead,  eyes,  and  mouth,  a  wash  of  gray,  composed 
of  Naples  yellow  and  cobalt,  the  green  or  blue  tint 
prevailing,  as  the  complexion  is  dark  or  fair.  Now 
give  a  general  wash  of  Naples  yellow  with  a  little  pink 

*  Some  artists  object  to  the  use  of  Naples  yellow  in  flesh,  from  the 
fact  that  it  is  injured  by  exposure  to  impure  air.  The  photograph  itself, 
however,  is  injured  by  impure  air,  and  it  is  always  expected  that  the 
finished  picture  will  be  carefully  sealed  from  all  contact  with  the  atmos- 
phere, so  that  this  objection  possesses  little  weight.  Lemon  yellow  has 
been  suggested  as  a  substitute,  but  it  is  of  a  tint  altogether  unsuitable 
for  flesh. 

[Naples  yellow  is  a  compound  of  lead  and  antimonic  acid,  the  antimo- 
niate  of  lead.  It  is  not  a  color  which  can  be  placed  in  the  first  rank  as  to 
permanency,  and  it  is  desirable  that  such  should  be  replaced,  when  possible, 
by  others  more  durable.  M.  C.  L.] 

5* 


50  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE    OF   COLORING. 

madder,  keeping  the  color  pure  and  brilliant,  and  not 
too  deep  in  tint.  Whilst  this  is  drying,  the  hair  may 
be  colored,  the  tone  of  the  photograph,  of  course,  materi- 
ally modifying  the  selection  of  tints  to  be  used,  a  list  of 
which  will  be  found  in  another  place.  In  some  heavy 
photographs  it  will  be  necessaiy  to  use  a  little  body  color 
for  the  high  lights.  The  eyebrows  and  eyelashes  may 
now  be  touched,  and  the  pupil  put  in  with  sepia,  and 
the  iris  with  cobalt  and  sepia  if  a  gray  or  blue  eye,  or 
for  a  dark  eye  with  burnt  sienna.  The  lips  are  now  to 
be  colored  with  vermilion  and  pink  madder,  remember- 
ing to  keep  the  upper  lip  in  shadow.  The  lips  of  chil- 
dren require  more  vermilion,  and  of  aged  persons  more 
pink  madder,  sometimes  even  approximating  to  a  pur- 
ple hue.  The  shadows  about  the  mouth  and  nostrils 
may  now  be  touched  with  brown  madder  and  pink 
madder.  The  principal  shadows  of  the  face  may  next 
be  strengthened  with  a  mixture  of  Indian  red,  cobalt, 
pink  madder,  and  Indian  yellow,  or  cobalt  and  Naples 
yellow,  the  tone  of  the  photograph  and  the  complexion 
of  the  model  indicating  which  of  these  colors  shall  pre- 
vail. Now  heighten  the  general  flesh  tint  by  hatching, 
using  the  color  thin  and  flowing,  and  following  the  form 
of  the  face.  In  dark  complexions  the  carnations  may 
be  heightened  with  Indian  red.* 

If  high  finish  be  not  desired,  the  head  might  now  be 
completed  by  heightening  the  color  on  the  cheek  with 
vermilion  and  pink  madder. 

*  This  color,  being  a  preparation  of  iron,  should  not  be  used  with  Na- 
ples yellow,  which  it  is  apt  to  injure.  Yellow  ochre  may  be  used  in  such 
cases  instead. 

[Yellow  ochre  is  also  a  preparation  of  iron,  though  it  may  have  less 
tendency  possibly  to  injure  the  Naples  yellow.  M.  C.  L.] 


TO   PAINT   THE    HEAD.  5l 

Good  photographs,  thus  finished,  and  styled 

«  TINTED," 

have  a  very  pleasing  effect  if  skilfully  managed.  In 
many  cases,  however,  a  more  completely  elaborated 
painting  will  be  required.  In  which  case,  next  proceed 
to  wash  in  the  general  tint  of  the  background,  choosing 
a  color  that  will  give  the  most  value  to  the  complexion. 
The  draperies  may  now,  also,  be  commenced,  by  receiv- 
ing the  general  wash. 

This  will  have  materially  modified  the  depth  of  the 
flesh  tints,  which  must  be  strengthened  accordingly. 
The  color  of  the  cheek  is  now  to  be  heightened  with 
vermilion  and  pink  madder.  Carmine  is  sometimes 
used  for  the  cheeks  of  children  and  ladies  with  pleasing 
effect.  In  coloring  the  cheek,  bring  the  color  well  up 
to  the  temple,  and  diffuse  it  towards  the  ear,  stippling 
the  edges  near  the  nose;  add  also  a  little  of  the  same 
tint  to  the  chin.  Deepen  the  extreme  shadows  again,  if 
necessary,  and  blend  the  shadows  with  the  local  flesh, 
by  stippling  with  gray.  Hatch  over  the  shadows  of 
the  forehead — which  have  been  deepened  previously 
with  Indian  red — with  a  bluish  gray,  and,  with  a  light 
tint  of  the  same,  hatch  over  the  retiring  cheek,  the 
temples,  and  about  the  chin.  Put  in  the  blue  shadows 
beneath  and  at  the  corners  of  the  mouth.  Now  stipple 
the  socket  of  the  eye  with  a  cool  green.  The  reflected 
lights  may  next  be  warmed  by  stippling  with  the  flesh 
tint;  finish  the  lips  by  stippling  with  vermilion  and 
pink  madder,  using  a  little  Chinese  white  for  the  high 
light,  if  necessary.  Touch  the  edge  of  the  upper  eyelid 
with  Indian  red,  and  soften  the  shaded  side  of  the  iris 
by  the  addition  of  a  little  shadow  color.  The  white  of 
the  eye  in  many  persons  will  require  touching  slightly 


52  PRINCIPLES   AND  PRACTISE   OF   COLORING. 

with  cobalt,  and  the  corner  next  the  nose  with  pink 
madder. 

The  hah'  may  now  be  finished,  taking  care  to  keep  it 
in  mass,  avoiding  the  wiry  effect  of  single  hairs.  Soften 
the  outline  of  the  head  where  it  meets  the  background, 
to  avoid  the  effect  of  inlaying.  "Work  on  the  edges  of 
the  hair  and  flesh  with  gray,  to  prevent  the  hair  ap- 
pearing to  cut  into  the  face. 

The  head  will  now  be  considerably  advanced,  and  the 
cbief  work  will  be  to  give  finish  and  softness  by  stip- 
pling in  the  grays  and  pearly  tints,  and  to  give  a  spirit 
and  character  by  putting  in  the  deepest  "  touches" 
about  the  eye  with  sepia  and  pink  madder,  mixed  with 
a  little  dilute  gum  arabic,  and  about  the  mouth  and 
nose  with  sepia  and  gum  water.  The  light  in  the  pupil 
of  the  eye  must  be  carefully  put  in  with  Chinese  white, 
the  pi'eferable  form  of  which  is  that  in  bottle. 

The  neck  and  bosom,  hands  and  arms,  which  have 
previously  been  washed  with  the  local  tint,  may  now 
be  finished.  The  shadows  of  the  neck  are  cooler  than 
those  of  the  face,  as  are  also  those  of  the  bosom,  which 
are  of  a  bluish  tint.  The  tips  of  the  fingers,  knuckles, 
and  elbows  may  be  hatched  with  pink  madder,  and  the 
divisions  of  the  fingers  touched  with  the  same. 

Next  proceed  to  finish  the  draperies  and  background, 
(of  the  method  of  painting  these  we  shall  speak  in 
another  place).  In  the  choice  of  colors  for  this  pur- 
pose, the  complexion  of  the  model  must  be  considered. 
If  it  incline  to  yellow,  it  may  be  neutralized  by  the 
pi'oximit}"  of  a  brilliant  yellow  ribbon,  whilst  purple 
would  ruin  it.  A  very  red  or  purple  face  may  be  soft- 
ened by  the  neighborhood  of  more  vivid  colors  of  the 
same  hue.     A  bright  rosy  complexion  will  be  improved 


COLOR   OF   HAIR.  53 

by  draperies  of  green,  and  a  very  fair  complexion  may 
gain  by  contact  with  blue. 

Now  return  to  tbe  face  and  examine  it  carefully,  in 
order  to  give  it  the  finishing  touches.  Begin  at  the  up- 
per part  of  the  picture,  and  complete  as  you  proceed. 
Where  the  shadows  have  too  much  purple,  correct  with 
cobalt  and  a  little  yellow ;  if  too  green  correct  with 
Naples  yellow  and  pink  madder.  Touch  the  eyelids 
with  sepia.  See  that  all  the  edges  of  shadows  are  soft- 
ened into  flesh  with  gray.  Keep  all  retiring  parts  cool. 
The  shadows  of  the  ear  shoukl  be  warm,  and  general 
tint  somewhat  pinkish.  The  shadow  under  the  nose 
may  be  glazed  with  Vandike  brown.  If  the  hatching 
be  too  wiry,  work  on  it  with  a  wet  pencil  without  color, 
to  blend  and  soften  the  lines. 

The  high  lights  in  the  photograph  should  be  through- 
out carefully  preserved.  Where  it  is  necessary,  they 
may  be  put  in  with  a  little  Chinese  white  and  Naples 
yellow,  passing  over  them,  when  dry,  a  delicate  coat  of 
the  local  tint,  to  blend  them  with  the  flesh. 

A  little  gum  water  used  in  the  deepest  shadows  of 
the  hair,  ej'es,  &c,  gives  transparency  if  required,  and 
the  picture  is  finished. 


COLOE  OF  HAIE. 

The  various  colors  of  hair  are  so  numerous,  and  the 
tones  of  photographs  so  varied,  as  to  render  it  impos- 
sible to  give  any  specific  combinations  of  color  for 
painting  hair.  We  may,  however,  offer  a  few  general 
hints.  In  such  heavy  photographs  as  may  require  it, 
a  little  body  color  may  be  used.  Chinese  white  or  Na- 
ples yellow  added  to  the  color,  for  lights,  will  answer. 


54  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE   OF   COLORING. 

Flaxen  Hair. — The  lights  may  be  formed  with  Eo- 
man  ochre;  the  shadows  have  often  a  greenish  hue. 

Auburn  and  Chestnut  Hair. — The  lights  of  neutral 
tint  inclining  to  purple,  the  local  color  burnt  umber, 
the  shadows  glazed  with  lake. 

Bright  Eed  Hair. — As  it  is  rarely  an  object  of  am- 
bition to  possess  hair  of  this  color,  it  should  be  generally 
somewhat  subdued.  For  the  lights,  Soman  ochre  may 
be  used;  Venetian  red  and  sepia,  or  burnt  sienna,  for 
the  local  color.     Shadow  with  sepia  and  lake. 

Dark  Brown  Hair. — Lights,  purple;  local  color, 
sepia;  shadows,  warm. 

Eaven  Black  Hair. — Lights,  neutral  tint;  local 
color,  indigo,  lake,  and  gamboge,  in  such  proportion  as 
may  be  required. 

Gray  Hair. — Cobalt  and  sej)ia,  modified  as  may  be 
required,  with  neutral  tint  and  burnt  umber. 

DEAPEEIES. 

We  have  before  remarked  that  in  portrait  painting, 
whilst  there  are  certain  colors  inherent  in  the  model 
which  the  artist  must  render  accurately,  by  coloring 
them  as  faithfully  as  possible,  there  are  others  the 
management  of  which  are  very  much  under  his  own 
control,  and  by  the  judicious  choice  and  arrangement  of 
which  he  gives  their  utmost  value  to  the  colors  abso- 
lutely belonging  to  the  sitter,  and  preserves  the  har- 
mony and  keeping  of  his  picture.  The  management  of 
the  draperies  comes  under  this  head.  We  caunot  here 
elaborate  the  subject,  but  must  leave  it  to  the  good 
taste  of  the  colorist,  merely  referring  him  to  the  brief 


DRAPERIES.  f>5 

statement  of  the  principles  on  which  the  harmony  of 
color  is  based,  given  in  a  former  chapter. 

In  a  good  photograph  the  characteristic  texture,  folds, 
lights,  and  shadows  of  different  fabrics  are  generally 
rendered  with  great  accuracy  and  beauty;  and  in  silks 
and  satins  the  artist  will  have  little  difficulty  in  coloring; 
clear  washes  of  transparent  color  generally  suffice,  a 
little  Chinese  white  being  sometimes  added  to  the  high 
lights,  to  give  additional  brilliancy.  As  a  general  rule, 
where  the  lights  are  cool,  the  shadows  should  be  warm. 

Blue,  often  a  favorite  color  with  ladies,  is  somewhat 
troublesome  for  the  artist  to  deal  with,  as  the  presence 
of  such  a  mass  of  cold  and  positive  color  renders  it 
necessary  to  introduce  something  sufficiently  warm  to 
preserve  the  harmony  of  the  picture.  Where  it  must 
be  painted,  use  cobalt  for  the  lights,  and  French  blue 
and  lake  for  the  shadows;  and  in  some  cases  a  little 
sepia  may  be  added,  keeping  the  shadows  as  warm  as 
possible.  For  dark  blue,  indigo  or  prussian  blue,  still 
keeping  the  shadows  warm ;  and  if  the  blue  approxi- 
mate to  purple,  the  shadows  may  have  a  tinge  of  orange. 

Yellow. — All  positive  colors  should  be  avoided  in  any 
mass,  or  at  least  used  with  moderated  brilliancy.  If 
Indian  yellow  be  used  for  lights,  the  shadows  should  be 
of  Vandyke  brown,  and  a  little  purple  madder.  Gam- 
boge may  be  shadowed  with  sepia.  Cadmium  yellow, 
which  is  of  a  rich  permanent  orange  tint,  may  be 
shadowed  Avith  burnt  sienna  and  lake. 

Red. — Whether  vermilion,  carmine,  or  lake  be  used, 
sepia  and  lake  in  modified  combinations  will  form  a 
good  shadow  color.  Pink,  which  is  either  carmine  or 
pink  madder  diluted,  may  be  shadowed  with  carmine, 
cobalt,  and  sepia  mixed  to  a  lilac  tint.  For  uniforms,  a 
most  brilliant  scarlet  is  produced  by  first  washing  with 


56      PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTISE  OF  COLORING. 

cadmium  yellow,  and  when  that  is  dry,  using  vermilion 
over  it.     Shadow  with  carmine  and  sepia. 

Purples,  Greens,  Orange,  and  all  compound  tints, 
are  formed  by  a  mixture  of  some  of  the  primaries.  A 
little  practice  will  enable  the  colorist  to  select  such  as 
best  meet  the  wants  of  the  moment,  following  the  prin- 
ciples already  indicated  regarding  their  shadows. 

White. — Chinese  white  is  the  most  useful  and  per- 
manent. The  middle  tints  may  be  formed  of  cobalt  and 
Indian  red,  and  the  shadows  of  sepia.  Chinese  white  is 
used  for  lace,  pearls,  &c. 

Black. — Sepia,  indigo,  and  lake;  or  gamboge,  indigo, 
and  lake,  make  a  good  transparent  black  for  silks,  &c, 
using  more  indigo  for  the  lights,  and  more  lake  for  the 
shadows. 

Gold  Ornaments  may  be  touched  with  Eoman  ochre  ; 
the  lights  with  Chinese  white  and  chrome  or  Naples 
yellow,  and  the  shadows  with  burnt  umber. 

Cloth  Fabrics. — These,  unlike  silks,  are  often  painted 
in  opaque  colors,  and  it  is  then  best  to  cover  up  to  some 
extent  the  photograph  at  once  with  the  local  color,  and 
paint  the  lights  and  shadows  on  it;  or,  if  they  are 
strengthened  first,  they  will  show  sufficiently  through 
the  local  color  to  guide  the  artist  as  to  the  drawing.  For 
a  black  coat,  mix  Chinese  white  and  lamp  or  ivory  black 
to  the  proper  tint  for  the  local  color,  adding  a  little  gum 
water.  Lay  on  as  evenly  and  smoothly  as  possible  a 
full  coat  of  this ;  when  dry,  wash  with  thin  gum  water 
carefully.  When  this  is  dry,  any  little  inequalities  are 
to  be  taken  off  with  a  scraper,  and  the  surface  again 
lightly  coated  with  gum  water.  This  process  may  be 
repeated  if  necessary,  until  an  even  smooth  foundation 
is  obtained.  Now  paint  in  the  lights  and  shadows  care- 
fully, observing  the  drawing  in  the  duplicate  photo- 


BACKGROUNDS.  57 

graph.  The  shadows  will  he  formed  with  indigo,  sepia, 
and  lake,  mixed  with  gum  water,  and  the  lights  of  the 
same  without  the  gum,  with  the  addition  of  sufficient 
Chinese  white.  Care  must  he  taken  in  painting  these 
not  to  disturb  the  general  wash.  Cloth  fabrics  of  other 
colors  require  similar  treatment,  Chinese  white  forming 
the  body  color  with  the  addition  of  such  other  tint  as 
may  be  required. 

"Where  cloth  draperies  in  the  photograph  are  perfect 
and  well  defined,  it  is  not  necessary  to  use  body  color 
in  obtaining  texture.  In  such  cases,  transparent  washes 
preserving  the  characteristic  texture,  as  rendered  in  the 
photograph,  will  answer  every  purpose.  The  lights 
and  shadows  will  then  be  strengthened  in  the  same 
manner  as  if  body  colors  were  used  This  method  is 
best  where  it  is  desired  to  preserve  the  general  photo- 
graphic character  of  the  picture. 

The  deep  shadows  of  all  draperies  are  improved  by 
the  addition  of  a  little  gum  water;  but  this  should  be 
used  very  sparingly,  as  excess  is  likely  to  crack,  and 
gives  a  vulgar  effect. 


BACKGKOUKDS. 

The  background  is  generally  still  more  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  colorist  than  the  draperies,  and  by  it  he  is 
enabled,  not  only  to  give  relief  to  the  figure,  but  to 
harmonize  the  whole.  It  should  be  devoted  to  repose, 
and  in  no  case  should  be  so  painted  as  to  distract  atten- 
tion from  the  principal  figure.  If  painted  of  one  uni- 
form flat  tint,  the  figure  is  apt  to  appear  inlaid,  which 
should  by  all  means  be  avoided.  The  aim  should  be  to 
give  an  atmosphere  to  the  picture.     This  must  be 

6 


58  PRINCIPLES    AND   PRACTICE    OF   COLORING. 

effected  by  using  broken  tints,  and  by  causing  the  light 
to  fall  on  the  background  from  the  same  point  as  it 
falls  on  the  sitter.  As  a  general  rule,  a  judiciously 
painted  plain  background  has  the  best  effect.  The 
fewer  objects  introduced  into  a  background  the  better; 
and  where  introduced  they  should  be  merely  indicated, 
not  painted  with  sharpness  or  intensitj^.  If  a  landscape 
background  be  introduced,  it  should  be  painted  broadly 
and  with  few  details.  With  a  large  portion  of  the  pub- 
lic these  backgrounds  are  preferred,  and  they  sometimes 
serve  the  colorist's  purpose,  in  admitting  the  repetition 
of  the  flesh  color  in  the  warm  tints  near  the  horizon. 

As  a  general  rule,  the  best  background  is  one  which 
is  darker  than  the  lights,  and  lighter  than  the  shadows 
of  the  picture.  For  fair  persons  the  blues,  violets,  and 
greens  may  be  used  with  advantage;  whilst  for  dark 
persons,  warm  browns  and  dark  red  will  be  found  valu- 
able. Grays,  greens,  olive,  greenish  grays,  &c,  will 
frequently  be  useful. 

The  local  tint  should  be  washed,  and  the  lights  and 
shadows  of  the  background  hatched  on,  using  a  little 
gum  water  with  the  color.  If  a  curtain  be  required,  it 
should  be  painted  with  opaque  color;  sky,  with  trans- 
parent color. 

Opaque  "flat"  backgrounds  are  often  painted  in  pho- 
tographs simply  because  they  are  easy  to  manage,  and 
readily  hide  any  defect  in  the  photograph.  Almost  any 
tint  may  be  made  with  Chinese  white,  and  the  addition 
of  such  other  color  as  may  be  required.  A  stone  color 
may  be  formed  by  mixing  Chinese  white  with  yellow 
ochre  and  burnt  umber;  a  chocolate,  of  Chinese  white, 
and  lamp-black  and  Indian  red;  a  greenish  gray,  of 
Chinese  white,  yellow  ochre,  and  indigo.  Opaque  back- 
grounds produced  by  these  means  are  generally  inartis- 


STEREOSCOPIC   PICTURES.  59 

tic,  however,  and  make  the  figure  appear  inlaid.  On 
another  page  we  give  a  brief  description  of  a  new  series 
of  body-colors  pi'oduced  by  Mr.  Newman,  especially  for 
illuminating  purposes,  but  wbich  will  be  found  valuable 
for  many  effects  in  coloring  photographs,  especially  in 
producing  opaque  backgrounds. 

"When  white  spots  occur  in  the  background  from 
some  defect  in  the  photograph,  they  must  be  touched 
with  a  little  deeper  tint  of  the  local  color,  which  is 
generally  lamp-black  or  sepia.  Black  spots  ought  never 
to  occur,  for  the  transparent  spots  in  the  negative 
which  cause  them  ought  to  be  "  touched  out"  in  the 
first  instance  with  opaque  color. 


YIGKETTE  PHOTOGKAPHS. 

A  pleasing  style  of  photograph  has  been  much  pro- 
duced of  late  under  this  name.  They  do  not  require 
the  same  amount  of  finish  as  others,  but  look  exceed- 
ingly well  when  tinted  as  described  in  a  previous  page. 


STEBEOSCOPIC  PICTUEES. 

Photographs  intended  for  the  stereoscope  should  be 
simply  tinted  with  transparent  colors,  as  any  attempt 
to  produce  finish  by  elaborate  manipulation  would  not 
only  fail  of  its  purpose,  but  would,  by  altering  or  ob- 
scuring the  minute  photographic  detail,  materially  in- 
terfere with  the  stereoscopic  result.  The  following  list 
comprises  a  selection  of  colors,  the  transparency  of 
which  may  be  sufficiently  relied  on,  to  meet  all  general 
requirements : 


60 


PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OF  COLORING. 


Burnt  Carmine. 
Carmine. 

Cadmium  Yellow.* 
Gallstone. 
Madder  Carmine. 
Purple  Madder. 
Permanent  Crimson. 
French  Blue. 
Intense  Blue. 
Indian  Yellow. 
Purple  Lake. 
Sepia. 

Sepia,  "Warm. 
Antwerp  Blue. 
Bistre. 
Brown  Pink. 
Burnt  Sienna. 
Burnt  Umber. 
Dragon's  Blood. 
Gamboge. 

Hooker's  GreeD,  1,  2. 
Indigo. 
Italian  Pink. 
Intense  Brown. 


Indian  Lake. 

Orange  Vermilion,*  2, 

(for  Scarlet). 
Pink  Madder. 
Rose  Madder. 
Cobalt  Blue. 
Brown  Madder. 
Cbalon's  Brown. 
Crimson  Lake. 
Light  Red. 
Neutral  Tint. 
Olive  Green. 
Prussian  Blue. 
Prussian  Green. 
Purple. 
Payne's  Gray. 
Raw  Sienna. 
Raw  Umber. 
Sap  Green. 
Venetian  Red. 
Verdigris.* 
Vandyke  Brown. 
Yellow  Lake. 
Yellow  Ochre. 


Commence  with  the  sky — take  on  the  palette  small 
portions  of  the  colors  required;  say,  for  illustration, 
gallstone,  orange  vermilion  No.  2  (scarlet),  and  Prus- 
sian blue;  mix  a  tint  of  each  of  the  colors  of  a  tolerable 
strength  (if  you  are  about  to  represent  an  evening  sky, 
in  which  there  is  generally  more  warmth  than  any 
other),  and  have  each  tint  in  a  separate  saucer.     Com- 


*  These  colors  are  objectionable  for  use  over  photographs.        M.  C.  L. 


STEREOSCOPIC    PICTURES.  61 

mence  with  a  brush  full  of  the  blue  tint,  and  float  the 
color  from  the  top  of  the  picture,  replenishing  the  brush 
often  until  you  have  got  about  balf  way  down  the  sky, 
when  the  brush,  being  nearly  emptied  of  the  blue  tint> 
may  be  dipped  into  the  scarlet,  which  must  be  floated 
on  in  the  same  manner  for  a  small  space  right  across 
the  sky,  gradually  adding  more  and  more  scarlet,  until 
the  tint  arrives  at  the  pure  scaidet,  when  you  must  add 
the  gallstone  tint  just  in  the  same  way,  terminating 
with  pure  gallstone  at  the  horizon.  It  should  then  pre- 
sent a  flat  surface  of  the  following  tints:  pure  blue, 
violet,  scarlet,  orange,  and  yellow,  blending  one  into  the 
other,  more  or  less  perfectly,  according  to  the  skill  with 
which  they  are  applied.  "Whilst  this  is  drying,  color 
the  companion  picture  in  a  similar  manner,  but  manage 
so  that  the  tints  unite  at  places  either  above  or  below 
the  changes  in  the  other,  so  that,  when  in  the  stereo- 
scope, the  two  will  blend  insensibly  together.  Now 
paint  the  distance,  using  the  sky  tints,  with  the  addition 
of  the  local  colors,  keeping  them,  however,  very  faint, 
and  only  just  a  degree  or  two  stronger  than  those  in 
the  sky.  Stronger  local  color  may  be  used  for  the 
middle  distance,  and  the  richest  colors,  such  as  gam- 
boge, brown  pink,  burnt  sienna,  and  crimson  lake,  must 
be  reserved  for  the  foreground  and  figures.  To  color 
the  draperies  of  the  figure,  you  must  take  advantage  of 
any  division  that  may  occur  by  one  piece  of  drapery 
joining  or  crossing  another,  so  that  you  may  have  only 
one  piece  at  a  time  under  treatment,  as  you  will  find  it 
much  easier  to  tint  a  space  where  the  boundaries  are 
limited.  The  color  must  always  be  laid  on  with  a  full 
pencil,  so  that,  when  dry,  there  shall  not  be  any  mark- 
ings of  the  brush  visible.  The  coloring  of  flesh,  which 
ought  to  be  done  before  any  other  part  of  the  figure,  is 

6* 


62      PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OF  COLORING. 

alluded  to  last,  as  it  requires  more  care  and  dexterity 
than  any  other  part  of  the  picture.  Mix  a  delicate  tint 
of  scarlet,  and  float  it  over  the  flesh;  when  that  is  dry, 
take  a  little  rose  madder,  and  with  a  very  fine  pointed 
brush,  tint  the  lips  and  stipple  the  color  delicately  upon 
the  cheeks  and  chin,  allowing  the  gradations  in  the 
light  and  shade  of  the  photograph  to  shine  through, 
when  they  will  form  beautiful  gray  tints,  which  you 
could  not  hope  to  imitate  without  an  immense  amount 
of  labor  and  skill. 

We  have  recommended  orange  vermilion  for  the 
flesh  wash,  although  it  is  not  perfectly  transparent.  A 
scarlet  effect  may  be  produced  by  washing  first  with 
Indian  yellow  or  gamboge,  and  then  with  pink  madder, 
using  of  course,  "  Newman's  Preparation,"  as  a  medium 
to  fix  each  tint. 

Some  very  beautiful  effects  may  be  produced  by  the 
following  method,  which  we  will  call  compound  color- 
ing. Use  one  set  of  tints  for  one  picture  on  the  slide, 
and  a  different  set  of  tints  for  the  other;  for  instance, 
suppose  you  are  coloring  a  piece  of  drapery,  in  one 
picture  use  pink  madder,  and  in  the  other  a  tint  of  blue; 
when  viewed  in  the  stereoscope  it  will  appear  a  beautiful 
shot  purple.  This  plan  may  be  adopted  with  great  ad- 
vantage for  skies,  draperies,  fruit,  flowers,  shells,  &c. 

ENAMELLING  POSITIVES. 

As  especially  applicable  to  stereoscopic  photographs, 
and  to  some  extent,  to  small  paper  positives  generally, 
it  may  be  of  interest  to  some  of  our  readers  to  possess 
a  mode  of  giving  an  enamelled  surface  to  prints,  which 
confers  great  delicacy  on  the  picture.  The  method  is 
as  follows : 


STEREOSCOPIC   PICTURES.  63 

A  sheet  of  plate  glass,  free  from  scratches,  is  cleaned, 
then  rubbed  all  over  with  a  solution  of  wax  in  ether, 
cleaning  it  off  again  so  as  to  leave  an  almost  impercep- 
tible film,  next  coated  with  plain  collodion,  which  must 
dry  without  opalescence,  and  be  rather  of  the  tough 
than  the  powdery  quality.  An  ounce  of  gelatine,  having 
soaked  for  a  few  hours  in  eight  ounces  of  water,  is  now 
boiled  in  an  earthenware  jar,  and  the  white  of  an  egg 
added  to  it  to  clarify  it.  Filter  while  warm  through  a 
piece  of  flannel.  Coat  the  collodionized  plate  with  this 
whilst  warm.  After  a  few  seconds,  it  is  drained  into 
another  vessel,  so  that  it  may  be  used  again,  but  it  must 
not  be  returned  to  the  stock  jar,  as  it  may  carry  dust 
with  it.  Now  lay  the  coated  plates  on  a  level  bench  or 
table. 

After  they  have  set  so  as  to  feel  a  little  "tacky,"  take 
the  prints  from  the  dish  of  water,  and  lay  them  imme- 
diately on  the  prepared  plate ;  this  is  best  done  by  lift- 
ing the  print  in  a  horizontal  way,  letting  the  edge  of 
the  print  fall  on  the  edge  of  the  glass,  and  by  a  gentle 
pressure  let  the  print  gradually  come  in  contact  with 
the  glass;  the  water  will  flow  before  the  print,  which 
entirely  prevents  the  formation  of  air-bubbles.  The 
prints  can  be  also  put  down  dry,  but  the  chances  of  air- 
bubbles  is  much  greater.  This  must  be  done  however 
with  colored  pictures. 

When  dry,  which  generally  takes  about  eight  or  ten 
hours,  they  can  be  separated  by  passing  a  knife  round 
the  edge  of  the  glass  and  lifting  the  whole. 


64  PRINCIPLES    AND    PRACTICE   OF    COLORING. 

IMITATION  IVOEY  MINIATUKES,  PHOTO- 
CHKOMOGKAPHS,  &c. 

A  method  of  coloring  photographs  intended  to  be  set 
as  brooches,  or  in  lockets  in  imitation  of  Ivory  minia- 
tures, has  recently  excited  great  admiration,  and  has 
been  extensively  employed  by  a  few  photographers,  but 
having  been  kept  as  a  secret  by  those  who  have  attained 
a  knowledge  of  the  method,  it  is  not  known  to  the 
general  body  of  photographic  colorists.  The  effect 
produced  is  so  exactly  like  that  obtained  on  ivory  that 
it  is  only  by  those  who  have  had  great  experience  in 
colored  miniatures  that  the  difference  can  be  detected. 

The  method  of  proceeding  is  as  follows  :  The  photo- 
graph to  be  colored,  which  must  be  on  plain  salted 
paper,  must  be  printed  rather  larger  than  that  part  of 
it  which  is  required  to  be  finished,  in  order  that  a 
margin  might  be  left  to  paste  on  the  frame,  which  is 
about  to  be  described.  An  aperture  is  cut  in  a  piece  of 
thin  wood  or  mill-board  larger  than  the  part  of  the 
photograph  to  be  colored,  the  print  is  now  damped  and 
the  edges  pasted  on  to  the  frame.  When  dry  the  paper 
will  be  found  to  be  stretched  tight,  exhibiting  a  smooth 
surface  to  work  upon,  and  the  back  of  the  part  required 
will  be  clear  of  the  frame.  The  picture  should  now 
be  painted  in  water  colors,  as  described  in  a  former 
part  of  this  work,  with  the  exception  that  the  colors 
must  be  more  forcible,  and  the  face  of  the  portrait 
darker  than  will  be  necessary  in  the  finished  result;  the 
after  operation  making  the  picture  paler  than  before 
the  wax  is  applied. 

"When  the  picture  is  quite  finished,  and  it  is  as  well 
to  avoid  any  after  alteration  or  corrections,  melt  a  little 


IMITATION   IVORY   MINIATURES,   ETC.  65 

pure  white  wax  in  a  porcelain  capsule,  and  holding  the 
picture  hefore  the  fire,  apply  the  wax  to  the  hack  with 
a  hrush.  The  picture  will  appear  to  darken  all  over, 
but  will  regain  its  color  on  cooling.  It  should  now  be 
cut  out  of  the  frame  and  backed  with  a  piece  of  warm 
tinted  or  cream-colored  paper.  If  any  alterations  are 
absolutely  necessary,  they  may  be  made  by  mixing  a 
little  soap  with  the  colors  employed. 

Another  method,  on  the  same  principle,  but  requiring 
less  artistic  skill,  consists  in  coloring  very  forcibly 
and  rudely  one  print  which  is  mounted  on  card-board. 
Another  print  from  the  same  negative,  printed  some- 
what lightly  on  thin  fine  paper,  and  not  toned  too  black, 
is  made  transparent  either  with  wax,  or  varnish  made 
with  Canada  balsam  and  turpentine.  This  is  stretched 
tight  upon  the  face  of  a  good  piece  of  colorless  glass,  to 
which  it  is  attached  throughout  with  the  varnish.  It 
is  then  fitted  so  as  to  superpose  accurately  upon  the 
roughly  painted  copy;  the  transparent  print  has  the 
effect  of  softening  and  blending  all  the  harsh  coloring 
in  the  original,  and  giving  a  good  effect  with  very  little 
expenditure  of  skill  or  time.  Care  must  be  taken,  how- 
ever, that  whilst  the  glass  and  transparent  print  super- 
pose accurately,  they  must  not  be  quite  in  contact  with 
the  roughly  colored  print;  a  strip  of  card  must  be  pasted 
at  the  edges  of  the  latter,  the  thickness  of  which  strip 
divides  the  transparent  print  from  the  colored  one,  and 
gives  a  great  appearance  of  relief  and  softness. 

Another  method  on  the  same  principle  consists  in 
first  making  the  print  transparent  with  wax  or  varnish, 
and  then  coloring  at  the  back  in  oil  colors  forcibly  but 
roughly.  The  print  is  then  mounted  and  varnished 
with  mastic  varnish,  and  has  the  effect  of  a  picture 
colored  in  oil. 


66      PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OF  COLORING. 

Another  method  on  the  same  principle  yields  with 
skill  and  care  very  pretty  results  resembling  enamel. 
A  print  on  glass  by  the  Simpsontype  or  collodio-chlo- 
ride  of  silver  process  is  produced,  and  when  dry  is 
coated  with  a  solution  of  gelatine,  with  which  a  little 
Chinese  white  from  a  tube  has  been  mixed.  When  this 
is  dry  the  picture  is  colored  at  the  back,  on  this  gelatine 
surface,  with  either  water  colors  or  powder  colors.  If 
with  the  former,  the  gelatine  surface  should  be  first 
coated  with  collodion  to  prevent  it  working  up;  if  with 
powder,  the  instructions  in  the  chapter  on  "  Non-in- 
verted colored  positives,"  should  be  followed.  A  little 
practice  will  be  necessary  to  ascertain  the  depth  and 
tint  to  be  applied,  as  the  result  can  only  be  guessed  at 
in  course  of  coloring.  When  done  a  piece  of  gelatinized 
paper  is  pressed  into  perfect  contact  with  the  picture, 
avoiding  air-bubbles,  this  is  left  to  dry,  and  then  the 
whole  is  removed  from  the  glass  by  running  a  penknife 
round  the  edge,  and  a  brilliantly  colored  miniature  with 
an  enamel-like  surface  is  obtained.  The  glass  may  be 
prepared  with  an  almost  imperceptible  coating  of  wax 
dissolved  in  ether,  before  it  is  coated  with  collodio-chlo- 
ride,  in  order  to  facilitate  the  whole  readily  leaving  the 
glass  when  finished. 

BODY  COLOES  FOE  BACKGROUNDS, 
DEAPEEIES,  &o. 

We  have  in  another  part  of  this  manual  referred  to 
the  effect  of  body  colors  as  being  dull,  opaque,  and 
heavy.  We  have  now,  however,  to  call  the  attention 
of  the  colorist  to  a  series  of  colors,  invented  since  the 
publication  of  former  editions  of  this  work,  which  afford 


BODY   COLORS   FOR   BACKGROUNDS,   ETC.  67 

facilities  for  producing  effects  in  the  coloring  of  draper- 
ies and  backgrounds  altogether  unattainable  by  any- 
other  means.  The  old  method  of  preparing  a  body- 
color,  consisted  in  adding  Chinese  white  to  the  color 
required,  the  purity  and  luminosity  of  the  color  being  at 
once  destroyed.  Mr.  Newman  has,  however,  succeeded 
in  producing  body  colors,  originally  intended  for  illumi- 
nating purposes,  which,  whilst  covering  thoroughly, 
are  perfectly  pure,  delicate,  and  luminous  in  effect, 
working  with  ease,  and  yielding  a  firm,  solid,  and  bright 
result.  A  flat  background,  readily  covering  any  imper- 
fections in  the  photograph,  is  readily  produced  by  means 
of  these  colors,  without  the  risk  of  producing  the  ad- 
vancing character  and  inlaid  effect  of  the  figure  common 
with  the  dead  backgrounds  produced  in  the  old  way 
with  body  colors.  By  the  use  of  a  small  amount  of 
skill,  gradation  and  atmosphere  are  easily  produced  in 
dead  backgrounds  with  these  colors,  which  shall  give 
value  and  relief  to  the  figure  instead  of  giving  it  an  in- 
laid or  a  subordinate  effect.  As  all  tints  are  prepared 
in  the  new  colors,  very  rich  effects  in  draperies  are 
easily  secured,  the  more  so  as  the  new  colors  are  easy 
to  work. 

The  colors  are  supplied  in  a  moist  state  in  bottles. 
Before  using  they  should  be  stirred  up,  as  the  pigment, 
being  heavier  than  the  mucilage  or  vehicle  in  which  it 
is  prepared,  is  apt  to  fall  after  remaining  long  at  rest. 
When  properly  mixed,  the  color  should  be  applied  with 
a  full  brush,  which  will  work  smoothly  and  evenly, 
the  colors  drying  with  flat  velvety  surface  and  great 
purity  and  richness  of  effect.  These  colors  may  in 
many  instances  be  applied  very  successfully  with  a 
piece  of  cotton-wool  twisted  up  in  the  form  of  a  stump 
or  round  one  of  the  stumps  used  In  crayon  painting. 


68      PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OP  COLORING. 

The  color,  applied  with  skill  in  this  way,  easily  yields  a 
fine  effect  of  texture  or  atmosphere. 

For  stopping  out  defects  in  negatives,  painting  out 
skies,  and  giving  cloud  effects,  these  will  be  found  the 
most  manageable  and  convenient  colors  to  use,  being 
easy  to  apply  in  an  even  coating,  and  readily  resisting 
the  passage  of  light.  Indian  red  answers  well  for  this 
purpose. 

These  colors  possess  the  advantage  of  working  har- 
moniously with  ordinary  water  colors,  and  maybe  used 
conjointly  with  them,  not  only  in  the  background  and 
draperies,  but  also  in  producing  a  very  fine  texture  of 
flesh. 

MEZZOTINT  PHOTOGEAPHS. 

Touching  up  paper  prints  in  light  and  shade  chiefly 
requires  care  and  some  knowledge  of  drawing.  The 
colors  to  be  used  must  somewhat  depend  on  the  tone 
of  the  photograph.  Brown  madder  and  Indian  ink,  in 
the  required  proportions,  will  very  nearly  approximate 
to  the  tone  of  many  photographs;  whilst  others  will 
acquire  these  colors  with  the  addition  of  a  little  neutral 
tint,  or  others  a  little  sepia.  The  chief  point  is  to  use 
very  little  color  at  the  time,  and,  in  touching  the  half 
tone  especially,  to  work  with  a  tolerably  dry  brush; 
you  will  thus  see  better  the  exact  depth  of  the  tint  you 
are  producing,  than  if  working  with  a  pencil  fully 
charged  with  wet  color.  A  little  Chinese  white  (see 
page  40),  may  sometimes  be  used,  if  the  photograph  be 
very  heavy  and  wanting  in  drawing  in  the  shadows, 
especially  in  the  hair.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that 
Chinese  white  is  very  cold  compared  with  the  tone  of 
most  photographs,  and  will  require  modifying  to  bar- 


REPRODUCTION    OP   IMPROVED   POSITIVES.  69 

monize.  It  may  also  bo  used  for  putting  the  point  of 
light  in  the  eye.  Avoid  gum,  and  every  thing  which 
does  not  accord  with  the  surface  of  the  print. 

KEPKODUCTION  OP  IMPEOVED  POSITIVES. 

Closely  connected  with  the  above  process,  we  are 
tempted,  although  somewhat  out  of  our  province,  to 
give  a  method  of  producing  ''improved  positives"  which, 
although  simple  in  itself,  does  not  seem  to  have  occurred 
to  photographers  generally,  but  which  will  be  found 
especially  useful  where  several  copies  of  the  same  pic- 
ture are  required. 

It  is  not  an  uncommon  circumstance  with  photogra- 
phers to  obtain  a  negative  in  which  the  portrait  may  be 
perfect,  but  the  background  defective.  Other  cases 
occur  where  some  minor  or  cardinal  defects  exist  in  a 
negative,  of  which  it  is  impossible  to  procure  a  better 
copy.  In  such  cases  the  photographer  may  find  a  valu- 
able resource  in  the  facility  which  he  may  possess  for 
"  touching  up,"  a  print  from  such  negatives  in  light  and 
shade,  making  such  emendation  and  improvements  as 
he  may  require,  doing  this  with  sufficient  breadth  and 
vigor,  and  from  this  amended  copy  reproducing  a  nega- 
tive at  his  leisure,  from  which  he  may  print  as  many 
perfect  proofs  as  he  may  require. 

Again,  when  an  uncolored  portrait  is  required  for 
publication,  it  sometimes  happens  that  a  background 
with  a  few  characteristic  objects  is  required,  for  which 
"  set  scenes"  or  painted  screens  are  not  immediately 
available.  This  may  be  easily  effected  in  the  same 
manner,  a  first  impression  being  colored  in  light  and 
shade,  with  such  characteristic  background  as  may  be 

7 


70  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE   OF   COLORING. 

required,   and  from  this  a  negative  obtained,   giving 
prints  -with  the  perfected  pictorial  result. 

GENEEAL  EEMAEKS. 

On  concluding  our  instructions  for  painting  photo- 
glyphs in  water  colors,  we  must  repeat  our  reiterated 
remark,  that  all  we  have  said  on  the  combinations  of 
color  best  suited  to  imitate  certain  effects  in  Nature  are 
merely  suggestive,  and  will  require  perpetually  modify- 
ing to  suit  the  complexions  to  be  imitated,  and  the  tone 
of  the  photograph  to  be  colored.  A  right  method  of 
coloring  is  the  main  consideration.  There  is  no  need  to 
be  anxious  to  attain  high  finish  at  once.  To  retain  the 
likeness  must  be  first  studied,  and  after  that  to  obtain 
purity  of  color,  roundness,  vigor,  and  breadth  of  light 
and  shadow.  Eefer  constantly  to  the  duplicate  copy, 
and  keep  the  picture  well  together,  as  one  part  of  the 
picture  cannot  be  properly  finished  before  the  remainder 
is  sufficiently  advanced.  Eemember  throughout,  that 
whilst  the  shadows  of  the  photograph  maybe  strength- 
ened or  subdued,  they  must  never  be  obliterated.  Per- 
severe in  aiming  at  excellence.  Never  say,  "  it  will  do," 
until  your  work  is  as  perfect  as  you  can  make  it.  Ob- 
serving this  rule,  and  following  careful^  the  suggestions 
we  have  given,  you  must,  if  possessing  any  capacity 
or  aptitude  whatever  for  the  undertaking,  infallibly 
succeed. 


PHOTOGRAPHIC   COLORS.  71 


PHOTOGRAPHIC  COLOKS. 


POWDEK. 


From  the  earliest  history  of  photographs,  which,  as 
the  reader  is  aware,  were  first  produced  on  silver  plates 
by  the  process  of  Daguerre,  an  efficient  mode  of  color- 
ing them  has  been  felt  as  a  serious  desideratum;  and  it 
is  somewhat  amusing  to  glance  at  the  various  methods 
proposed,  for  some  of  which  patents  were  obtained. 
One  gentleman  proposed  to  cover  the  Daguerreotype 
plate  with  a  thin  transparent  membrane,  attaching  it 
to  the  surface  by  means  of  gum,  and  upon  this  surface 
transparent  colors  prepared  with  varnish  were  to  be 
applied.  Another  proposed  to  trace  the  outline  of  the 
picture  on  the  glass  covering  it;  and  then  removing  tbe 
glass,  color  it  with  the  transparent  colors  used  in  paint- 
ing glass  for  the  magic  lantern ;  the  glass  then  being 
replaced,  the  picture  was  seen  through  the  tinted  me- 
dium. At  length  the  application  of  dry  colors  in  a 
state  of  very  fine  powder  was  adopted.  By  this  method, 
although  much  the  best  for  the  purpose,  so  imperfect 
was  the  preparation  of  the  colors,  and  so  inefficient  the 
method  of  using  them,  that  pictures  were  for  many 
years,  as  frequently  spoiled  as  improved.  The  colors 
sold  for  the  purpose  were  often  utterly  worthless,  and 
the  instructions  for  their  use  we  have  seen,  on  more 


72      PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OF  COLORING. 

than  one  occasion,  have  been  to  the  effect  that  they 
were  to  be  "dusted  over  the  picture!"  The  variety, 
brilliancy,  and  delicacy  of  the  tints,  and  the  excellence 
of  the  preparation  of  those  we  are  about  to  describe, 
however,  offer  the  fullest  facilities,  with  even  average 
taste,  skill,  and  perseverance,  for  producing  very  beau- 
tiful results. 

Dry  colors  are  used  for  coloring  positives  on  glass, 
silver  plate,  or  albumenized  paper.  They  are  used,  as 
we  have  said,  in  the  form  of  an  impalpable  powder,  and 
are  prepared  so  as  to  adhere  to  the  surface  of  the  pic- 
ture by  the  simplest  manipulation. 

BEUSHES. 

It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the  amateur  should 
have  good  and  suitable  pencils  to  commence  with; 
nothing  will  be  more  likely  to  cause  him  to  throw  up 
the  attempt  in  disgust  than  unsuitable  pencils,  by  which 
it  is  impossible  to  apply  the  color  properly.  They 
should  be  of  the  best  material,  and  manufactured  so  as 
to  carry  a  firm,  well-supported  point.  This  should  re- 
sult from  the  careful  selection  and  arrangement  of  the 
natural  points  of  the  hair,  and  not  from  being  ground 
to  a  point — a  practice  resorted  to  by  inferior  makers  to 
gain  a  factitious  point.  For  general  purposes  Nos.  1 
and  2  camel's  hair  will  be  found  most  useful.  They 
should  be  prepared  for  use  from  time  to  time  by  briskly 
agitating  in  a  glass  of  clean  water,  and  then  drawn 
through  the  lips  to  form  a  point,  in  which  form  they 
must  be  suffered  to  dry,  and  are  then  ready  for  use.  A 
good  stock,  ready  pointed,  should  always  be  kept  at 
hand,  as  it  is  not  desirable  to  use  the  same  pencil  for 
dissimilar  colors.     A  few  larger  camel's  hair  pencils  will 


METHOD   OF   COLORING.  73 

be  found  useful  in  backgrounds,  and  a  few  small  sables 
for  fine  lines.  Common  pencils,  which  at  once  spread 
into  the  form  of  a  dusting  brush  when  dry,  are  worse 
than  useless. 

In  addition  to  colors  and  pencils,  an  elastic  India-rub- 
ber bottle,  with  tube,  will  be  required,  for  blowing  off 
superfluous  colors,  as  blowing  with  the  lips  should  in 
no  case  be  attempted,  on  account  of  danger  of  spotting 
the  picture  with  moisture.  The  vulcanized  India-rubber 
blowers  should  be  avoided,  especially  if  Daguerreotypes 
are  to  be  colored,  as  the  sulphur  acquired  by  the  India- 
rubber  in  the  process  of  vulcanizing  is  sometimes  given 
off  in  minute  particles,  which  immediately  cover  the 
silver  plate  with  black  spots.  This  remark  will  explain 
to  many  who  have  colored  Daguerreotypes  the  cause  of 
a  source  of  annoyance  which  has  appeared  unaccount- 
able. A  large  camel's  hair  dusting  brush,  gold  and 
silver  shells,  and  a  bottle  or  tube  of  Chinese  white,  will 
also  be  required. 

The  colorist  will  find  his  account  in  procuring  at  the 
outset  a  complete  box  of  colors,  in  which  he  will  find 
the  best  possible  selection  of  tints  for  flesh,  draperies, 
backgrounds,  and  also  a  complete  assortment  of  pencils, 
and  other  requisites  for  his  purpose.  Facilities  for 
plenty  of  variety  in  coloring  will  make  the  woi*k  easier, 
because  more  interesting  to  the  colorist,  as  well  as  more 
satisfactory  in  result. 

METHOD  OF  COLORING:. 

The  method  of  coloring  is  much  the  same,  whether 
on  Daguerreotypes,  positives  on  glass,  or  on  paper. 
Daguerreotypes  are  colored  in  all  respects  as  glass  pos- 

7* 


74  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE   OP   COLORING. 

itives;  and  as?  they  are  not  usually  varnished,  when  once 
colored  throughout  they  are  finished. 

The  positive  on  glass  may  be  colored  either  on  the 
collodion  surface,  or  varnished  and  then  colored.  As, 
however,  we  wish  to  give  the  mode  of  producing  the 
best  results,  we  will  describe  our  own  method.  The  pic- 
ture is  first  colored  on  the  collodion  surface.  It  is  well 
perhaps,  to  commence  with  the  forehead,  using  flesh  No. 
1,  fair  or  dark,  as  the  complexion  may  require.  A  small 
portion  of  color  is  taken  up  on  the  pencil  and  applied  with 
a  circular  motion,  on  the  high  lights  first,  and  gradually 
softening  towards  the  shadows,  taking  care  at  all  times 
not  to  overload  these  with  color,  or  the  roundness  of 
the  picture  will  be  destroyed.  Having  colored  the 
lights  of  the  forehead,  nose,  and  chin  with  No.  1  flesh, 
now  with  No.  2  flesh,  fair  or  dark,  commence  on  the 
lights  of  the  cheeks,  softening  into  the  shadows,  and 
joining  the  high  lights  already  colored.  If  the  com- 
plexion be  very  fair  and  delicate,  a  little  No.  1  flesh  may 
be  combined  with  No.  2  for  this  general  tint.  The  out- 
lines of  each  feature  must  be  carefully  traced,  and 
caution  used  to  avoid  covering  the  shadows  of  the 
mouth,  nostrils,  &c,  as  well  as  to  avoid  touching  the 
hair  or  eyes  with  flesh  color.  Proceed  in  like  manner 
with  the'  neck,  arms,  hands,  &c.  The  hair,  if  golden  or 
red,  may  now  be  colored,  touching  only  the  lights  and 
half-tones,  and  avoiding  the  deepest  shadows.  As  the 
varnish  will  materially  lessen  the  brilliancy  of  the  first 
coloring,  a  little  3-ellow  or  even  orange  may  be  safely 
used  for  light  hair;  and  as  the  less  the  hair  is  touched 
after  varnishing,  except  on  the  high  lights,  the  better, 
it  is  well  to  color  sufficiently  bright  at  first,  allowing 
for  the  effects  of  the  varnish. 

An  even,  delicate  coating  of  flesh  color  having  been 


METHOD   OF   COLORING.  75 

obtained,  proceed  with  the  draperies.  It  is  here  neces- 
sary to  remark,  however,  that  whilst  brilliancy  and 
depth  are  obtained  in  some  colors  by  coloring  before 
and  after  varnishing,  with  others  no  such  advantage  is 
gained,  aud  it  is  comparatively  useless  to  apply  them 
before  varnishing.  A  little  experience  will  soon  suggest 
where  the  line  is  to  be  drawn.  We  may  suggest  gener- 
ally that  fleshes,  reds,  greens,  and  yellows  may  be  ap- 
plied first  with  advantage;  whilst  browns,  purples, 
light  blue,  and  some  other  colors  arc  best  left  until 
after  varnishing. 

In  coloring  draperies  proceed  on  the  same  principle 
as  in  flesh,  commencing  on  the  lights  and  softening  into 
the  shadows.  Great  care  is  here  required  to  avoid 
covering  the  deepest  shadows  and  destroying  their 
transparency. 

The  first  coloring  completed,  carefully  blow  away 
with  the  India-rubber  bottle  every  particle  of  color 
which  has  not  adhered  to  the  surface,  otherwise  it  will 
run  with  the  varnish.  Before  varnishing  also  observe 
if  there  are  any  spots  or  imperfections  in  the  picture. 
Black  spots,  which  will  occasionally  occur  in  the  back- 
ground of  otherwise  good  pictures,  may  be  carefully 
touched  out  with  a  little  of  the  Chinese  white,  modified 
with  such  other  water  color  as  most  nearly  resembles 
the  tint  of  the  background.  If  the  eyes  have  moved 
or  are  not  perfectly  sharp,'  they  may,  if  the  colorist  pos- 
sess sufficient  skill,  be  touched  with  water  colors,  the 
pupil  defined,  and  the  markings  of  the  eyelash  deepened, 
and  the  light  put  in  with  a  little  Chinese  white.  But  it 
must  be  remembered  this  requires  great  care,  some 
skill,  and  knowledge  of  the  actual  drawing  of  the  eye. 
Without  these  it  is  more  easy  to  spoil  than  to  improve 
the  picture  by  the  attempt. 


76      PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OP  COLORING. 

The  picture  is  now  to  be  varnished,  blowing  carefully 
to  remove  the  dust,  &c ;  the  varnish  is  to  be  flooded  on 
the  plate  in  the  same  manner  as  collodion,  and  with  the 
same  care  to  secure  an  even  coating,  and  drained  off  at 
one  corner.  A  dusty  atmosphere  should  be  avoided 
whilst  varnishing  the  picture. 

"When  quite  dry,  the  picture  is  again  ready  for  color- 
ing. A  material  advantage  has  been  gained,  notwith- 
standing that  all  the  colors  already  applied  have  lost  so 
much  in  brilliancy.  One  great  objection  urged  against 
the  use  of  dry  colors  has  been  their  tendency  to  fade. 
Here,  however,  they  are  dry  colors  no  longer;  the  var- 
nish, combining  with  the  color  on  the  plate,  has  formed 
a  coating  similar  to  oil  paint,  and  possessing  much  of 
its  stability.  Moreover,  the  colors  which  lay  on  the 
half-tones  and  shadows,  somewhat  obscuring  them, 
having  combined  with  a  transparent  vehicle,  have  lost 
any  approximation  to  opacity  they  might  have  pos- 
sessed. The  color  on  the  highest  lights,  combining  with 
the  varnish,  has  formed  a  surface  on  which  the  subse- 
quent coloring  will  bite  with  the  greatest  tenacity. 

The  last  remark  will  have  suggested  to  the  colorist 
the  extreme  care  with  which  the  second  coloring  must 
be  conducted.  Proceeding  as  in  the  first  instance,  but 
with  the  remembrance  that  now  the  colors  are  to  be 
used  exactly  of  the  tint  and  brilliancy  required,  the 
high  lights  are  recolored  with  No.  1  flesh;  the  local  tint 
with  No.  2  flesh,  fair  or  dark,  as  may  be  required;  the 
cheeks  heightened  with  Nos.  2  or  3  complexion.  Great 
care  must  now  be  used  not  to  destroy  the  roundness 
and  relief  of  the  face  by  entirely  covering  the  half-tones 
and  shadows  with  flesh  color.  If  the  colorist  have  suf- 
ficient skill,  a  great  improvement  may  be  obtained  by 
delicately  touching  the  shadows  with  an  approximation 


METHOD   OF   COLORING.  77 

to  the  requisite  shadow  colors  of  flesh.  A  little  damask 
and  green  form  a  useful  gray  for  this  purpose  in  dark 
or  florid  complexions,  the  green  prevailing  in  the  former, 
and  the  damask  in  the  latter.  For  very  fair  complexions 
the  peach  forms  a  delicate  shadow  color,  giving,  as  it 
combines  with  the  flesh,  an  approach  to  the  "pearly 
tints"  of  the  water-color  painter.  The  lips  may  now 
be  touched  with  the  color  for  the  purpose,  modified  as 
the  case  may  demand.  The  upper  lip,  being  in  shade, 
must  be  touched  with  very  great  care  to  receive  very 
little  color,  as  there  is  danger  of  making  it  appear 
swollen.  The  nostrils  may  be  touched  with  carmine  or 
damask.  The  iris  of  blue  or  light  gray  eyes  may  be 
touched  with  a  suitable  color ;  but  dark  eyes,  gray  or 
hazel,  are  best  untouched.  For  coloring  the  lips,  eyes, 
and  similar  fine  lines,  a  small  sable  pencil  is  most  useful. 
The  eyebrows  and  hair,  where  required,  are  now  to  be 
retouched. 

Proceed  with  the  draperies  in  a  similar  manner. 
Great  care  is  required  to  preserve  the  peculiar  texture 
of  various  fabrics,  which  is  rendered  with  such  deli- 
cacy and  faithfulness  by  photography,  and  which  it  is 
very  easy  to  spoil  by  colors. 

The  background  is  next  to  be  colored.  To  produce 
the  best  effects  requires  some  skill  and  judgment,  and 
much  more  of  the  beauty  of  the  picture  depends  upon 
its  management  than  most  photographers  seem  aware 
of.  Careful  perusal  and  attention  to  the  principles  laid 
down  in  the  chapters  on  the  Harmony  of  Color  will 
enable  the  ai'tist  to  effect  everything  that  can  be  de- 
sired. If  a  plain  background  be  intended,  three  points 
should  be  remembered  regarding  it.  Such  colors  should 
be  chosen  as  best  harmonize  with  and  give  value  to  the 
colors  in  the  model;  it  should  be  so  subdued  and  devoted 


78      PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OP  COLORING. 

to  repose  as  never  to  distract  attention  from  the  principal 
figure;  and  it  should  be  so  relieved  by  light  and  shadow 
as  to  give  an  atmosphere  to  the  picture,  and  in  no  case 
suggest  the  idea  of  the  figure  being  inlaid.  Almost 
every  color  may  be  used  in  backgrounds,  but  various 
combinations  of  the  grays,  greens,  browns,  and  purples 
are  most  useful  for  the  purpose,  and  admit  of  endless 
variety.  Tbe  background  sbould  be  shadowed  towards 
the  lower  part  of  the  picture ;  and  a  light  thrown  on 
to  the  upper  portion,  in  the  same  direction  as  the  light 
falls  on  the  head  of  tbe  sitter,  has  a  good  effect.  No.  3 
brush  is  the  best  for  producing  a  smooth  even  back- 
ground; a  smaller  pencil  being  used  to  bring  up  the 
color  to  the  outline  of  the  figure. 

A  landscape  background,  consisting  chiefly  of  sky,  is 
often  a  favorite;  it  requires  judiciously  managing,  and 
the  effect  of  the  blue  in  giving  a  yellow  effect  to  the  flesh 
should  be  remembered.  The  head  should  be  painted  in 
such  case  to  suit  the  background  to  some  extent.  The 
blue  must  be  laid  on  carefully  and  smootbly,  with  a 
.No.  3  pencil,  brighter  towards  the  zenith  and  becoming 
more  of  a  lavender  tint  towards  the  horizon,  as  a 
general  rule.  As  a  sunset  effect  is  often  admired,  the 
line  of  the  horizon  is  drawn  with  the  color  for  that  pur- 
pose. Some  slight  artistic  knowledge  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  succeed  in  producing  a  good  background 
of  this  kind.  We  may  call  attention,  however,  to  one 
or  two  points  which  the  amateur  must  bear  in  mind. 
The  line  of  the  horizon  should  not  be  too  low  in  the  plate, 
and  should  be  undulating,  as  a  straight  line  would  gen- 
erally have  an  unnatural  effect.  The  yellow  should 
merge  into  red,  and  that  into  lavender,  gradually  blend- 
ing into  the  blue.  Clouds  low  in  the  horizon  should  be 
of  a  warm  tint  from  the  golden  reflections  of  the  sun- 


METHOD   OF   COLORING.  79 

set.  Clouds  higher  in  the  sky  should  be  of  a  light 
fleecy  character,  and  should  be  drawn  with  sufficient 
light  and  shadow  to  give  them  relief  from  the  sky. 
Silver  gray  will  be  found  useful  for  the  lights;  and 
darker  grays,  lavender,  peach,  &c,  for  the  shadows, 
which  should  gradually  blend  with  the  blue.  It  is  the 
practice  of  some  good  colorists  to  leave  spaces  in  the 
sky  untouched  with  blue,  to  receive  the  clouds;  in  our 
own  practice,  however,  we  have  found  it  simpler  to  put 
in  the  clouds  after  coloring  with  blue;  No.  1  flesh,  or 
silver  gray,  as  the  case  may  require,  giving  the  lighted 
edge  with  sufficient  brilliancy.  The  distance  of  the 
landscape  should  be  colored  with  the  color  for  that  pur- 
pose, warmer  greens,  yellows,  and  browns  being  used 
as  the  landscape  advances  to  the  foreground.  It  is  not 
necessary  that  much  definite  drawing  be  introduced 
into  the  landscape;  general  effects  without  much  sharp- 
ness, only  are  required. 

As  the  shadows  of  the  landscape,  as  also  of  any  effects 
of  drapery  or  architecture  in  the  background,  are  ob- 
tained by  leaving  the  plate  untouched,  the  color  of  the 
background  before  coloring  should  be  of  a  tolerably 
dark  gray. 

After  finishing  the  background  and  draperies,  once 
more  retouch  the  face,  which  will  now  appear  some- 
what modified  by  the  surrounding  color. 

Positives  on  glass,  produced  by  what  is  termed  the 
"  Alabasti-ine  Process,"  offer  facilities  for  effecting  finer 
results  with  dry  colors, than  can  be  obtained  on  any  other 
kind  of  glass  picture.  The  whites  of  the  photograph 
being  purer,  the  detail  more  perfect,  whilst  the  surface, 
presenting  a  "  tooth/'  like  crayon  paper,  affords  opportu- 
nity for  an  extremely  brilliant  and  effective  style  of 
coloring.    The  mode  of  proceeding  is  somewhat  different 


80  PRINCIPLES    AND   PRACTICE    OF    COLORING. 

to  that  we  have  just  described.  The  picture  is  varnished 
with  the  varnish  provided  for  the  purpose,  before  com- 
mencing to  color;  then  proceed  with  the  care  recom- 
mended above  for  the  second  coloring,  using  similar  tints 
for  the  lights  and  shadows  to  those  recommended  in  the 
chapter  on  Water  Colors.  If  greater  brilliance  is  de- 
sired, the  picture  may  be  varnished  again,  and  then  re- 
colored  in  the  same  manner. 

Lace,  flowers,  and  jewelry  niay,  where  necessaiy, 
be  delicately  put  in  with  water  colors,  or  the  latter 
with  gold,  moistened  from  the  gold  shell.  Silver  orna- 
ments may  be  put  in  with  the  silver  shell;  or,  what  is 
perhaps  preferable,  the  aluminium  shell,  a  new  inven- 
tion, which,  we  believe,  though  not  so  brilliant,  will 
not  tarnish.  But  care  must  be  used  not  to  give  a  vul- 
gar, inharmonious  effect  to  the  picture  by  using  too 
freely  gold  or  silver  in  ornaments. 

When  the  picture  is  quite  colored,  a  clean  pencil 
with  a  fine  point  should  be  taken,  to  remove  such  por- 
tions of  the  color  as  may  accidentally  have  touched 
the  shadows  of  the  hair  or  draperies.  Sometimes  the 
point  of  the  pencil  may  be  touched  against  the  hair  or 
skin  of  the  colorist,  so  as  to  take  up  the  merest  soup- 
con  of  animal  oil,  by  which  means  the  superfluous 
color  on  the  plate  is  easily  removed. 

COLOEING  PHOTOGEAPHS   ON   OPAL    GLASS. 

Photographs  on  opal  glass,  which  are  becoming  very 
popular,  may  either  be  tinted  with  water  colors,  as 
described  in  the  chapter  on  that  subject,  and  in  that 
case  produce  results  rivalling  the  finest  ivory  minia- 
tures; or  they  may  be  colored  as  just  described  with 
powder  colors.     In  that  case  the  picture  should  be  first 


COLORING    ALBUMENIZED   PRINTS   IN   POWDER.  81 

varnished  with  the  positive  coloring  varnish  to  secure 
a  "tooth,"  and  then  finished  at  one  coloring. 

COLORING  ALBUMENIZED  PRINTS  IN 
POWDER. 

Positives  on  alhumenized  paper,  or  on  salted  paper 
sized  with  a  preparation  for  the  purpose — but,  as  a 
rule,  salted  paper  photographs  should  be  colored  in 
oil  or  water  colors — may  be  colored  in  the  same  way. 
Perfectly  sharp,  well-defined,  brilliant  pictures,  with 
plenty  of  high  light  and  half  tone,  are  necessary  for 
the  purpose.  The  colors  must  be  put  on  with  as  much 
purity  and  delicacy  as  possible  to  commence  with, 
depth  and  brilliance  being  obtained  by  repeated  appli- 
cations and  the  force  of  contrast.  The  paper  positive 
should  be  mounted  on  card-board,  and  hotpressed,  or 
passed  between  steel  rollers,  before  commencing,  by 
which  a  glossy  surface  is  obtained.  Paper  positives, 
colored  in  this  manner,  have  the  advantage  of  preserv- 
ing with  the  greatest  accuracy  all  the  original  features 
of  the  photograph,  the  danger  of  losing  which  is  the 
greatest  drawback  to  the  employment  of  oil  or  water 
colors.  A  skilful  artist  may  produce  almost  any  amount 
of  brilliancy  by  repeated  colorings,  varnishing  between 
each  with  the  "  Positive  Coloring  Varnish."  A  final 
coat  of  the  "  Penetrating"  Varnish  gives  the  picture 
the  effect  of  a  miniature  in  oil. 

In  some  paper  positives,  where  detail  is  absent  in 
the  shadows,  certain  little  "  tricks  of  art"  are  admissi- 
ble. The  point  of  a  knife  or  eraser  is  used  to  abrade 
the  surface,  somewhat  in  the  manner  of  stippling;  over 
the  lights  thus  obtained  the  proper  color  is  then  used, 
and  if  it  be  well  done,  excellent  effects  may  be  pro- 


8Z      PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OF  COLORING. 

duced.  The  use  of  a  little  Chinese  white,  or  other 
body  color,  stippled  on  for  a  similar  purpose,  is  some- 
times advantageous. 

The  stump  will  be  found  useful  in  rubbing  in  dry- 
color  on  paper  proofs,  and  many  effects  may  thus  be 
produced  which,  in  the  mere  laying  on  of  color,  are 
absent,  such  as  texture  in  draperies,  and  transparency 
in  the  shadows  of  clouds,  &c. 

NON-INVEKTED  COLOEED  POSITIVES. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  all  glass  positives,  being 
colored  on  the  collodion  film,  are  inverted,  or  trans- 
posed, as  regards  right  and  left.  A  method  of  color- 
ing, by  which  the  picture  can  be  viewed  from  the  glass 
side  of  the  positive,  which  presents  the  sitter  in  his 
true  position,  right  and  left  not  transposed,  has  recently 
excited  some  attention.  The  mode  of  producing  this 
result  is  simple,  and,  when  well  done,  presents  some- 
what the  effect  of  enamelling  on  glass.  It  depends  in 
the  first  instance,  however,  on  the  collodion  film  being 
permeable.  This  is  sometimes  the  case  in  ordinary 
positives  taken  with  a  collodion  the  pyroxyline  of 
which  has  been  made  at  a  high  temperature,  thus 
giving  a  powdery  film.  This  permeable  film,  however, 
is  much  best  obtained  by  the  "  Alabastrine  Process," 
and  the  best  specimens  we  have  seen  of  the  non-in- 
verted colored  positives  have  been  produced  by  it. 
The  picture  having  been  varnished  and  colored — and, 
if  necessary,  varnished  and  colored  again — a  little  extra 
care  been  used  to  obtain  brilliancy  in  the  carnations,  is 
to  be  varnished  once  more  with  "  Penetrating  Varnish," 
provided  for  the  purpose,  which  has  the  effect  of  pro- 
jecting the  color  thoroughly  into  the  collodion  film; 


NON-INVERTED   COLORED   POSITIVES.  83 

the  result  is,  that  the  positive,  then  viewed  from  the 
glass  side,  presents  a  picture  as  vividly  colored  as  on 
the  collodion  side.  The  effect  msiy  be  still  further  im- 
proved by  going  over  the  face  again  with  No.  1  flesh. 
It  is  important  that  these  pictures  should  be  taken  on 
colorless  glass,  the  ordinary  green  glass  materially  in- 
juring the  tone  of  the  picture.  It  must  be  remembered, 
also,  that  the  "  Penetrating  Varnish"  materially  affects 
the  tints  of  many  of  the  colors.  This  modification  of 
tint  must  be  allowed  for  in  applying  the  color,  experi- 
ence dictating  the  extent  of  the  modification  to  be  ex- 
pected. Without  brilliancy  in  the  color  itself,  no  satis- 
factory effect  can  possibly  be  produced. 

Since  the  first  edition  of  this  work  was  published, 
experience  has  suggested  some  additional  details  in 
coloring  this  class  of  pictures.  Very  little  idea  can  be 
formed,  whilst  coloring  the  picture  on  the  surface,  of 
the  amount  of  depth  or  brilliancy  of  color  which  will 
permeate  the  film.  It  is,  nevertheless,  of  the  utmost 
importance  to  know  this  before  applying  the  "Pene- 
trating Varnish."  An  approximate  idea  may  be  formed 
by  examining  the  back  of  the  picture  after  each  appli- 
cation of  the  Alabastrine  varnish,  before  it  has  dried  ; 
from  its  appearance  then,  a  very  good  idea  may  be 
formed  of  the  depth  and  tint  already  obtained.  We 
mention  the  tint  obtained,  as  well  as  the  depth',  because 
the  tint  will,  in  many  cases,  appear  somewhat  different 
to  the  color  applied  on  the  surface.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  Alabastrine  picture  consists  of  a  mass 
of  white  particles,  which  have  a  similar  effect  on  the 
color  permeating  them,  to  that  which  would  be  pro- 
duced by  adding  white  to  the  color  before  it  was  ap- 
plied. Some  colors  are  also  modified  by  the  effect  of 
the  varnish. 


84  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE   OF   COLORING. 

To  secure  the  best  result,  some  parts  of  a  picture 
will  require  more  repeated  applications  of  color  than 
others;  this  depending  on  the  class  of  picture  and  the 
intensity  required.  The  following  general  suggestion 
will  be  found  useful  in  many  cases :  Color  the  flesh 
tints  four  times,  watching  the  effect  at  the  back,  be- 
tween each  coloring,  whilst  the  varnish  is  wet,  to  see 
that  the  cold  gray  of  the  photograph  is  yielding  to  the 
warm,  health}^  hues  of  flesh,  and  that  the  exact  tint  of 
the  complexion  is  being  attained;  the  hair  will  require 
coloring  once  or  twice;  the  draperies,  some  once,  some 
several  times,  depending  on  the  nature  of  the  color  and 
the  amount  of  intensity  desired.  As  a  general  rule, 
backgrounds  will  only  require  coloring  once;  additional 
effect  may  sometimes  be  gained  b}T  repeated  colorings  ; 
but  great  care  is  required  in  attempting  this,  as  the 
extensive  mass  of  color  in  a  background  is  sometimes 
apt  to  be  moved  by  the  varnishing,  and  run  on  to  the 
face,  &c.  "Where  once  is  sufficient,  it  should  be  done 
last,  as  there  is  no  danger  of  the  color  being  disturbed 
or  running,  on  the  application  of  the  "  Penetrating 
Varnish."  The  danger  of  masses  of  color  spreading  or 
running  by  repeated  varnishing,  is  the  chief  risk  to  be 
guarded  against,  and  care  must  be  taken  before  each 
additional  application  of  the  varnish,  to  see  that  no 
loose  color  remains  on  the  surface  of  the  picture,  but 
that  all  the  color  applied  is  thoroughly  worked  in  and 
incorporated  with  the  surface. 

"Where  the  non-inverted  position  is  not  an  object, 
many  of  the  pictures,  treated  as  Ave  have  described,  by 
repeated  colorings  and  a  final  application  of  "  Penetra- 
ting Tarnish,"  have  an  exceedingly  good  effect  on  the 
collodion  side,  very  much  resembling  fine  miniatures 
in  oil.     They  constitute,  in  fact,  the  best  possible  imita- 


ENLARGED    PICTURES  :    FINISHING    IN    CRAYONS.       85 

tion  of  delicately-manipulated  oil  paintings  in  general 
effect,  and  possess,  at  the  same  time,  a  similar  perma- 
nency and  durability. 

These  pictures,  and  the  Alabastrine  photographs, 
should  be  backed  with  velvet  of  maroon  or  violet  tint, 
instead  of  black  varnish.  Indeed,  all  glass  positives 
are  frequently  best  so  backed,  to  preserve  warmth  in 
the  shadows.  They  should  always  be  covered  with 
colorless  instead  of  green  glass.* 

ENLAKGED  PICTURES  :   FINISHING  IN 
CKAYONS. 

Since  the  introduction  of  the  solar  camera,  life  size 
and  other  enlarged  photographs  have  began  to  excite 
popular  attention.  Partly  from  some  shortcomings  in 
the  method  employed,  and  partly  from  inherent  causes, 
these  enlarged  pictures,  more  than  any  other  class 
of  photography,  require  some  aid  from  the  touch  of 
the  artist.  The  more  nearly  the  picture  approaches 
the  size  of  life,  the  more  palpably  is  felt  the  want  of 
the  hues  of  life  j  and  thus  the  aid  of  the  colorist 
becomes  almost  imperative.  And  even  where  the  mono- 
chrome of  the  photograph  is  considered  sufficient  with- 
out further  colors,  the  untouched  enlarged  photograph 

*  In  these  pictures,  the  image  is  between,  the  color  and  the  eye — this 
produces  a  peculiarly  soft  effect,  which  to  many  is  very  pleasing,  though 
to  a  cultivated  taste,  it  is  less  attractive  than  ordinary  painting,  well  ex- 
ecuted, in  which  the  color  is  between  the  image  and  the  eye. 

These  pictures  (by  the  method  here  described),  are  produced  with 
great  facility  and  render  some  effects — especially  those  of  rich  drapery — 
very  well.  In  addition  to  the  colors  applied  behind,  when  very  brilliant 
tones  are  wanted  a  little  oil  color  may  be  applied  in  front,  on  the  glass 
surface.     In  this  case,  a  second  glass  will  be  a  necessary  protection. 

.   .  C.  L. 
8* 


86  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE   OF   COLORING. 

rarely  pleases;  there  is  a  want  of  force  and  vigor,  or 
an  emptiness  and  want  of  modelling,  which  the  pencil 
of  the  artist  can  do  much  to  supply.  To  meet  either 
the  want  of  color  or  the  want  of  finish,  there  is,  perhaps, 
nothing  more  suitable  than  the  employment  of  colored 
crayons,  or  black  and  white  chalk  :  and  we  shall,  there- 
fore, give  a  few  brief  hints  as  to  the  mode  of  using 
them. 

Preparation  of  the  Photograph. 

Enlarged  photographs  by  the  solar  camera  are  gene- 
rally, in  this  country,  produced  by  the  process  of  de- 
velopment printing,  and  are,  therefore,  on  plain  paper, 
without  a  surface  of  albumen.  They  are  not  unfre- 
quently  on  drawing  paper,  in  which  case  they  are  best 
suited  for  crayon  painting.  Any  kind  of  paper  with  a 
somewhat  rough  surface,  which  will  present  a  tooth  to 
the  chalk,  will  answer  the  purpose.  The  print  should 
be  mounted  on  a  stretcher  covered  with  canvas. 
Should  the  surface,  on  trying,  fail  to  "  bite"  sufficiently, 
it  may  be  rubbed  with  pumice-stone  powder,  or  cuttle- 
fish powder,  until  a  suitable  surface  is  obtained,  taking 
care,  however,  to  avoid  obliterating  any  portion  of  the 
picture.  A  method  has  also  been  proposed  of  imitating 
the  surface  of  the  pumice-paper  prepared  for  pastel 
painting.  This  consists  in  apprying  to  the  paper  a  warm 
solution  of  isinglass,  and  then  dusting  through  a  sieve 
pumice  or  cuttle-fish  powder  until  an  even  surface  is 
obtained,  which,  on  drying,  presents  an  excellent  tooth. 
This  preparation  will  of  course  slightly  obscure  the 
image,  which  should  have  been,  to  begin  with,  tolerably 
vigorous.  This  treatment  is  only  suitable  for  pictures 
which  have  to  be  finished  in  colored  pastels.     In  most 


FINISHING    IN    MEZZOTINT.  87 

cases  drawing  paper,  especially  if  it  have  received  a 
final  wash  in  hot  water  to  remove  the  size,  will  answer 
every  purpose. 

Finishing  in  Mezzotint. 

Developed  prints  on  plain  paper  have  generally  a 
somewhat  unfinished  effect,  which  may,  however,  by  a 
feAV  skilful  touches,  he  entirely  removed.  The  tint  of 
crayon  to  be  used  must  depend  upon  the  tone  of  the 
picture,  and  will  consist  of  black,  grays,  browns,  purples, 
and  white;  the  latter  to  be  used,  very  sparingly,  for 
putting  in  such  high  lights  as  those  in  the  eyes,  &c. 
It  will  often  happen  that  the  features  will  require  very 
little  beyond  a  few  bright,  vigorous  touches  to  give  de- 
cision and  vigor.  The  irides  and  pupils  of  the  eye  will 
require  strengthening,  and  the  markings  of  the  eye- 
lashes and  eyebrows  defining;  the  nostrils,  ears,  &c, 
may  also  require  a  few  delicate  touches.  If  any  addi- 
tional force  or  modelling  be  required  by  the  features,  it 
must  be  effected  by  hatching  with  a  free,  light,  bold 
touch,  taking  especial  care  to  allow  the  lines  to  follow 
the  curves  of  the  features, 

The  hair  will  generally  require  a  little  attention,  the 
shadows  will  require  strengthening,  and  the  locks  de- 
fining, taking  care,  however,  to  avoid  stiffness.  The 
drapery  will  also  require  the  shadows  strengthening, 
and  in  silk  fabrics  the  lights  may  have  increased  decision 
and  brilliancy  given  to  them.  The  deep  masses  of 
shadow  may  be  worked  in  with  the  stump ;  but  in  this 
kind  of  touching  little  more  is  required  than  a  few  de- 
cided sharp  touches  :  the  thumb  should  rarely  be  used. 
If  more  than  this  be  attempted,  the  whole  image  will 
need  to  be  overlaid  with  the  neutral  crayons,  a  process 


00      PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OF  COLORING. 

requiring  much  skill,  and  rarely  being  effective.  If  the 
background  be  defective,  it  may  be  entirely  covered, 
suitable  tints  being  rubbed  in  with  the  thumb.  If  it  be 
tolerably  perfect,  it  will  rarely  need  more  than  a  little 
shadow,  or  a  few  sketchy  accessories.  [Except  for  en- 
largements developed  prints  should  never  be  used  for 
coloring.  M.  C.  L.J 

Coloring  in  Pastels. 

To  color  tbe  photograph  in  pastels  requires  consider- 
able skill  and  a  good  knowledge  of  drawing,  for  as  the 
material  used  is  opaque,  and  the  image  is  largely  ob- 
literated by  every  touch  of  the  colorist,  it  follows  that 
much  of  his  success  will  depend  upon  his  reproducing 
his  work  touch  by  touch,  or  upon  bis  skill  as  a  draughts- 
man in  painting  a  picture  from  the  photographic  guide 
by  his  side.  If  the  work  be  well  done,  no  style  of 
coloring  is  more  effective  or  suitable  for  the  finishing 
of  life-size  photographs. 

The  pastels  should  be  procured  in  the  assorted  tints 
ready  for  use ;  thirty  or  forty  tints  at  least  being  neces- 
sary for  ordinary  work.  The}'  should  be  soft  but  not 
powdery,  and  free  from  any  particles  of  grit.  Much  of 
the  success  of  the  colorist  depends  upon  the  excellence 
and  completeness  of  his  tints,  and  upon  the  facility 
with  which  they  may  be  applied. 

It  is  best  to  begin  with  the  shadows  of  the  face, 
strengthening  them  with  a  warm  tint,  and  so  work  up- 
wards. The  color  will  be  applied  in  bold  touches,  the 
respective  tints  being  laid  on  roughly  side  by  side,  or 
slightly  overlapping  each  other.  When  the  whole  is 
well  covered,  the  tints,  which  lay  crudely  side  by  side, 
may  be  blended  with  the  thumb,  or  in  the  more  delicate 


COLORING   IN  PASTELS.  89 

parts  by  a  stump.  Let  it  be  borne  in  mind,  however, 
that  the  less  of  this  softening  work  which  is  required  the 
better,  as  much  of  it  inevitably  destroys  the  purity  and 
brilliancy  of  the  color,  and  imparts  a  feeble,  woolly 
look  to  the  work.  The  tints  used  for  the  face,  &c,  will 
be  similar  to  those  described  in  the  instructions  for 
water  and  oil  colors,  with  the  difference  that  we  have 
referred  to.  namely,  that  the}-  are  prepared  in  the  tints 
required,  without  further  mixing.  In  cases,  however, 
where  a  tint  requires  modifying,  it  may  be  done  by  the 
employment  of  two  crayons.  If  a  gray,  for  instance, 
be  too  cold,  it  may,  after  it  is  applied,  be  hatched  over 
with  a  red,  and  the  two  blended,  and  so  on.  After  the 
face  is  first  colored,  and  the  color  blended,  great  bril- 
liancy and  transparency  may  be  obtained  by  hatching 
over  the  features  with  the  tints  of  the  same  scale,  but 
in  a  higher  key.  Warmth  or  coolness  may  be  imparted 
in  this  manner,  and  these  delicate  brilliant  hatchings 
ma}T  be  left  without  softening. 

The  hair  and  draperies  will  be  effected  in  the  same 
manner,  the  hair  being  rather  indicated  in  masses  than 
by  any  attempt  to  define  hairs,  which  would  give  a 
hard,  why  effect.  The  background  may  be  rubbed  in 
with  the  thumb;  the  same  principles  guiding  the  color- 
ist  which  we  have  expressed  in  former  chapters. 

There  are  two  common  errors  to  which  the  beginner 
is  very  liable :  in  attempting  to  keep  his  picture  cool, 
quiet,  and  delicate,  he  is  apt  to  become  cold  and  chalky; 
and  in  attempting  to  secure  warmth  and  fulness  of 
color,  he  is  apt  to  become  raw  and  red.  Only  great 
care,  judgment,  and  practice  will  enable  him  to  avoid 
these  evils,  together  with  a  study  of  the  works  of  the 
most  eminent  pastel  painters. 

Those  who  have  opportunity  of  inspecting  the  works 


90  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE   OF   COLORING. 

of  M.  Louis  Gratia  will  find  in  them  the  best  models 
possible  for  imitation.  The  richness  and  purity  of  the 
color,  the  transparency  and  living  effect  of  his  flesh, 
the  utter  absence  of  crudeness.  chalkiness,  or  coarseness, 
have  perhaps  never  been  exceeded  in  pastels,  and  ren- 
der these  pictures  admirable  examples  for  the  student. 

A  few  sharp  touches  with  the  hard  conte  crayon  are 
permissible  in  the  finishing  of  the  picture,  and  if  judi- 
ciously done,  they  are  very  effective.  Let  it  be  remem- 
bered also  that  a  good  body  of  color  on  the  picture  in 
its  earliest  stages  is  a  great  adjunct  to  richness  and 
brilliancy  of  effect. 

Paintings  in  pastel  are  sometimes  fixed  by  means  of 
a  solution  of  isinglass.  The  mode  in  which  this  is  ap- 
plied is  by  first  stretching  tight  over  the  picture  a 
piece  of  taffeta,  and  then  applying  the  solution  with  a 
brush,  taking  care  never  to  pass  over  the  same  place 
twice.  The  solution  at  once  sinks  through  into  the 
crayons  without  disturbing  them,  and  when  dry  the 
colors  are  quite  fixed.  It  is  sometimes  also  applied  at 
the  back  of  the  canvas.  No  fixing  process  is,  however, 
recommended.  The  best  method  of  preserving  the 
picture  is  to  place  a  glass  at  the  back  as  well  as  the 
front  of  the  canvas;  this  method  will  effectually  protect 
the  colors  from  sources  of  injury.  It  is  recommended 
to  keep  pastel  paintings  from  damp  and  from  strong 
sunlight. 

COLOEING  IN  OIL. 

The  photographer  who  desires  to  succeed  in  coloring 
his  productions  artistically,  should  certainly  possess  a 
knowledge  of  drawing,  although  by  using  only  trans- 
parent pigments  he  may  avoid  the  danger  of  destroying 


COLORING   IX  OIL.  9l 

the  resemblance  which  arises  from  the  use  of  opaque 
colors,  some  of  which,  however,  are  essential  to  the 
production  of  that  brilliancy  and  force  which  should 
characterize  a  well-executed  and  well-painted  photo- 
graph. Some  colorists  have  awarded  the  palm  to  water 
colors,  for  this  rather  insufficient  reason — that  the  use 
of  oil  demands  the  experience  and  skill  of  an  artist, 
forgetting  that  a  lack  of  skill  in  the  individual  can  in 
no  way  disparage  the  art  itself;  but  if  the  advocates  of 
water  colors  be  right  in  concluding  that  the  use  of  oil 
demands  greater  skill  and  ability,  their  argument  must 
surely  recommend  oil  colors,  inasmuch  as  they  guarantee 
in  their  use  the  competency  and  talent  of  the  colorist; 
but  it  seems  to  the  writer  (and  he  has  had  long  expe- 
rience in  the  use  of  oil  and  water  colors),  that,  in  either 
art,  he  who  has  the  highest  order  of  artistic  merit  will 
succeed  best,  and  that  it  is  as  easy  to  do  a  little  in  the 
one  as  in  the  other. 

The  amateur,  in  coloring  photographs  in  oil,  should 
select  for  practice  a  thoroughly  good  positive,  upon 
salted  or  albumenized  paper.  The  picture  must  be  free 
from  stains,  sharply  defined,  displaying  well-arranged 
light  and  shade,  and  so  printed  that,  without  being 
too  dark,  every  delicate  gradation  of  tone,  from  the 
highest  light  to  the  deepest  shadow,  can  be  clearly 
traced,  because  a  badly  taken  or  badly  printed  photo- 
graph calls  for  many  subtle  contrivances,  only  acquired 
by  experience  and  practice,  and  because  the  less  diffi- 
culty met  with  in  beginning,  the  greater  is  the  encour- 
agement to  persevere,  and  by  perseverance  only  is  suc- 
cess insured. 

To  prepare  the  photograph,  mount  it  free  from  dust, 
carefully  coat  it  with  "  Newman's  Preparation  " — some- 


92      PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OP  COLORING. 

times  two  applications  will  be  necessary — and  let  it  be 
rolled  by  some  botpresser. 

Tbe  necessary  materials  for  coloring  in  oil  sbonld  be 
obtained  ready  prepared.  Tbe  amateur  will  require 
colors,  nut  oil,  and  poppy  oil,  varnisbes,  brusbes,  palette, 
rest-stick,  and  palette-knife.  A  palette  with  a  wbite 
surface  is  best.  In  selecting  brusbes,  see  tbat  tbey 
come  to  a  firm  smooth  point,  spring  well  after  pressure, 
and  taper  sufficiently ;  tbe  sable  pencils  are  best  for  tbe 
purpose.  The  following  colors  are  required.  White, 
Naples  yellow,  yellow  ochre,  raw  sienna,  burnt  sienna, 
Mars  orange,  light  red,  extract  of  vermilion)  vermilion, 
pink  madder,  crimson  lake,  Indian  red,  raw  umber, 
burnt  umber,  terre  verte,  emerald  green,  ultramarine, 
Prussian  blue,  indigo,  ivory-black,  pink  and  brown 
madder,  Indian  lake,  Vandyke  brown,  brown  ochre,  Ant- 
werp blue,  and  wbatever  other  colors  the  drapery,  back- 
ground, or  accessories  may  demand.  Procure  also  a 
tube  of  megilp  and  sugar  of  lead — the  one  as  a  vehicle, 
tbe  other  to  assist  colors  which  are  bad  driers. 

The  necessary  tints  are  as  follows : 

For  the  First  Fainting. — White  and  Naples  yellow, 
with  a  very  small  portion  of  the  extract  of  vermilion. 
The  same,  with  an  addition  of  vermilion  or  light  red. 
White  and  terre  verte.  The  same,  with  a  little  Indian 
red.  White  and  pink  madder,  with  a  little  vermilion. 
Ligbt  red  and  burnt  umber,  white  and  Indian  red. 

For  the  Second  Fainting. — White  and  Naples  yellow. 
The  same,  with  rose  madder.  Tbe  same,  with  a  little 
emerald  green.  White,  light  red,  and  emerald  green. 
White,  Indian  red,  ultramarine,  and  raw  umber.  White, 
madder  purple,  and  ultramarine.  Yermilion  and  raw 
umber. 

For  the  Third  Fainting. — Madder  brown.    Eaw  sienna 


PAINTING   THE   PHOTOGRAPH.  93 

and  Indian  red,  with  a  little  lake.  Lake,  burnt  sienna, 
and  a  little  vermilion.  White,  pure,  and  with  Naples 
yelloAV  and  pink  madder.     Ultramarine  and  white. 

The  student  who  mixes  these  tints  thoughtfully  will 
at  once  see  their  uses  in  the  different  stages  of  his  work, 
and  his  practice  will  suggest  all  the  modifications  and 
alterations  which  his  model  may  demand. 

Painting  the  Photograph. 

Use  sufficient  megilp  with  your  colors  to  render  them 
rather  thin  and  transparent,  but  let  the  lights  be  opaque 
and  well  coated  with  color;  lay  your  pigments  in  their 
place  with  as  little  after-disturbance  as  possible,  to 
secure  their  purity.  Commence  by  carrying  a  warm 
tint  (light  red  ard  burnt  umber)  over  the  darkest 
shadows.  Use  the  white,  terre  verte,  and  Indian  red 
for  the  lighter  shadows;  then  white  and  terre  verte  for 
the  cold  halftones;  then,  with  less  megilp,  paint  in  the 
high  lights  with  white  and  Naples  yellow,  graduating, 
thence,  with  the  aid  of  the  other  tints  given,  into  the 
local  color  and  shadows;  this  done,  strengthen  the 
nostrils,  the  lines  of  the  eyelids,  and  that  separating 
the  lips,  keeping  them,  though  well-defined,  far  from 
hard.  Carry  a  line  of  brown  or  indigo,  as  may  be  re- 
quired, round  the  iris  of  the  eye,  put  in  the  local  tint, 
the  reflected  light,  and  the  pupil;  remember  that  the 
part  called  white  is  gray,  more  or  less  light  according 
to  its  position,  form,  and  the  length  of  the  eyelash.  The 
eyebrow  and  hair  next  call  for  attention;  keep  the 
former  soft,  transparent,  and  hair-like;  the  latter  soft, 
with  its  divisions  well  but  not  too  strongly  defined, 
and  its  character  carefully  preserved;  it  is  transparent 
where  it  meets  the  brow,  and  requires  there  great 
nicety  of  treatment;  nothing  can  be  more  unnatural 

9 


94  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE   OP   COLORING. 

than  the  hard  line  sometimes  seen  in  very  ill  painted 
portraits,  where  the  hair  and  hrow  or  temple  meet. 
Carefully  consider  the  gradations  of  tint  by  which  the 
hair  and  flesh  are  softened  into  each  other,  and  note 
the  shadows  cast  by  raised  or  over-falling  locks,  &c 
The  high  lights  of  the  hair,  partaking  of  the  nature 
of  polished  bodies,  will  be  bluish,  being  colder  (by  con- 
trast) as  the  hair  is  darker.  Use  gray  and  shadow  tints 
to  blend  the  hair  and  flesh. 

In  painting  the  mouth,  great  care  and  attention  must 
be  give«  to  the  preserving  of  its  form  and  expression, 
or  the  resemblance  may  be  very  speedily  lost. 

Black  coats  are  first  glazed  with  a  warm  transparent 
black,  into  which  paint  the  lights  with  different  tints  of 
black  and  white,  strengthening  the  shadows  with  Van- 
dyke brown,  and  a  little  lake  or  bitumen. 

In  painting  the  hands,  carefully  preserve  the  high 
lights  and  half  tones;  keep  the  knuckles,  tips  of  the 
fingers,  and  the  exterior  portions  more  rosy  than  other 
parts,  and  put  in  the  divisions  between  the  fingers  with 
a  warm  shadow  tint. 

All  draperies  may  be  treated  as  recommended  in  the 
case  of  a  black  coat,  using,  of  course,  such  colors  as  a 
study  of  the  fabric  itself  may  suggest. 

Colors  for  Hair. 

Light  hair  may  be  made  with  Vandyke  brown  and 
ochre,  with  raw  umber  for  the  shadows;  raw  umber 
for  the  local  tint,  and  the  same  mixed  with  Naples 
yellow  for  the  lights;  the  grays  are  the  same  as  used 
for  flesh. 

Dark  Hair. — Use  a  little  black,  with  some  Vandyke 
brown   and  lake;   keep  the   reflections  cold,  and  the 


COLORING   THE   PHOTOGRAPH.  95 

local  tint  rich  and  warm;  for  black  hair  use  a  larger 
proportion  of  warm  black.  Bitumen  is  a  useful  color 
in  tbis  portion  of  your  work,  and  brown  madder  mixed 
with  French  blue.  In  painting  hair,  carefully  preserve 
the  gray  or  half  tones. 

TINTS  FOK  BACKGROUNDS. 

Black,  white,  Indian  red,  and  a  little  vermilion. 

Black,  white,  and  lake. 

Black  and  burnt  sienna. 

Black  and  Indian  red. 

Brown  ochre,  white,  and  burnt  umber. 

Prussian  blue,  ochre,  black,  and  white. 

Terre  verte,  raw  umber,  and  burnt  sienna. 

Black,  white,  and  burnt  umber. 

Umber  and  yellow  ochre. 

Black,  white,  and  burnt  sienna. 

FOE  SKY  BACKGROUNDS. 

"White,  yellow  ochre,  and  a  little  extract  of  vermilion. 
"White  and  yellow  ochre. 
"White  and  extract  of  vermilion. 
Vermilion,  white,  and  French  blue. 
Ditto,  with  black. 

FOR  DISTANT  SCENERY. 

Vermilion,  indigo,  and  white. 
Terre  verte,  white,  and  burnt  sienna. 
Prussian  blue,  ochre,  and  white. 
Madder  brown  and  Vandyke  brown,  &c. 

FOR  STONE  "WORK. 

Black,  white,  and  yellow  ochre,  or  burnt  umber. 
Black,  French  blue,  and  white. 
Black,  white,  and  umber. 


96  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE   OF   COLORING. 

FOE  DKAPEKIES. 

Linen. 
White  and  blue  black. 
"White,  black,  and  burnt  umber. 
And  white  for  the  lights. 

White  Satin. 
White. 

White,  raw  umber,  and  ivory  black. 
White,  black,  and  Indian  red. 
Brown  ochre,  white,  and  a  little  French  blue. 

Blue  Satin. 

Prussian  blue  and  white. 

Ultramarine  and  white. 

Ivory  black,  ultramarine,  white,  and  a  little  vermilion. 

Brown  ochre,  ultramarine,  and  white. 

SCAKLET  COATS. 

Crimson  lake  and  king's  yellow. 

Crimson  lake  and  vermilion. 

Vermilion. 

Crimson  lake  and  Indian  red. 

Extract  of  vermilion. 

Carmine  and  yellow. 

GOLD. 

Yellow  ochre  and  raw  umber. 

Yellow  ochre. 

Naples  yellow. 

Burnt  sienna  and  raw  umber. 

Second  Painting. 

When  the  first  painting  is  perfectly  dry,  soften  the 
work  hy  passing  over  it  a  brush  charged  with  poppy  oil, 
and  then  remove  the  oil  with  a  piece  of  soft  leather. 


COLORING   THE   PHOTOGRAPH.  97 

Glaze  the  whole  of  the  face  with  an  appropriate  tint; 
repaint  the  shadows  with  transparent  colors,  strengthen 
and  brighten  the  lights,  improve  the  blues,  greens,  and 
grays  of  the  flesh,  and  soften  the  lines;  repaint  the 
background,  and  blend  its  tint  with  a  clean  soft  brush; 
strengthen  the  folds  of  the  draperies;  use  glazing  tints 
wherever  practicable;  and  preserve  the  colors  warm, 
clear,  and  bright. 

Third  Painting. 

The  second  painting  having  dried,  finish  the  picture 
with  transparent  touches  and  markings  to  strengthen 
the  shadows,  force  the  lights,  and  secure  a  masterly  and 
artistic  style  of  finish.  When  this  is  thoroughly  dry, 
the  picture  is  ready  for  varnishing. 

Oil  paintings  are  generally  best  left  unvarnished  for 
some  months;  but  as  professional  photographers  are 
generally  compelled  to  complete  their  works  within  a 
few  weeks  at  most,  it  is  desirable  to  use  mastic  varnish. 
The  reason  for  this  lies  in  the  fact  that  mastic  varnish 
is  the  most  colorless  and  brilliant,  and  may  at  any  time 
be  easily  removed  without  deterioration  to  the  picture; 
whilst  copal  varnish,  being  very  hard,  can  only  be  re- 
moved by  chemical  agency.  Especial  care  must  be  used 
not  to  aj^ply  the  varnish  until  the  last  painting  is 
thoroughly  dry  and  hard.  It  is  necessary  that  the 
room  in  which  varnishing  is  conducted  be  moderately 
warm,  and  a  bright  day  should,  if  possible,  be  chosen 
for  the  operation. 

In   conclusion,  those  who   cannot  draw  should  use 

their  colors  well  thinned  with  megilp,  to  preserve  their 

transparency.     Those  who  can  draw  should  not,  with 

imprudent  conceit,  refuse  that  care  to  the  preservation 

9* 


98      PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OF  COLORING. 

of  the  photograph  without  which  it  is  impossible  to 
succeed  in  photographic  coloring.* 


A  FEW  WOKDS  ON  POETEAITUEE. 

As  this  manual  is  written  by  "an  artist  photogra- 
pher," for  the  use  of  photographers  who  may  have 
given  less  attention  to  art,  it  may  be  useful,  although 
not  strictly  within  the  province  of  coloring,  to  say  a 
few  words  on  portraiture  generally,  and  the  principles 
which  should  be  regarded  in  its  practice.  The  class  of 
photographic  portraits  which  is  chiefly  in  favor  at  the 
present  day,  known  as  carte  de  visite  or  album  portraits, 
make  greater  demands  upon  the  photographer's  knowl- 
edge of  art  principles  in  regard  to  composition  and  ar- 
rangement than  any  other  phase  of  photography  has 
hitherto  done;  and  this  may  render  more  interesting 
and  important  any  hints  which  may  lead  to  successful 
and  satisfactory  results. 

Let  it  be  remembered  at  the  outset,  that  the  mere 
delineation  of  an  object,  the  mere  production  of  a  like- 
ness, does  not  constitute  a  picture.  To  constitute  a 
good  portrait,  and  produce  at  the  same  time  a  pleasing 
picture,  the  model  should  be  represented  under  such 
circumstances  of  position,  arrangement,  light  and  shade, 

*  A  photograph  colored  solid  in  oil  is  far  more  valuable  than  on& 
merely  tinted,  and  this  is  the  only  correct  way  of  working.  Where  a 
high  price  is  paid  for  a  colored  photograph,  it  is  UDjust  to  the  purchaser 
to  give  him  a  picture,  which  may  in  a  few  months  or  years  become  faded 
and  worthless,  either  from  original  defective  washing,  or  because  colors 
injurious  to  permanence  of  the  silver  print  have  been  employed.  A  pho- 
tograph when  colored  solid  will,  of  course,  be  independent  of  fading,  for 
the  original  print  may  fade  out  without  the  colored  portrait  being  affected. 

M.  C.  L. 


A   FEW   WORDS   ON   PORTRAITURE.  99 

and  entourage  of  accessories,  as  shall  indicate  character, 
and  at  the  same  time,  he  conducive  to  pictorial  effect. 
The  photographic  portraitist  labors  under  the  disadvan- 
tage, that  however  perfect  his  taste  or  knowledge  of 
art,  he  has  not  absolute  control,  either  over  the  forms 
he  must  delineate,  or  the  relations  of  light  and  dark 
which  shall  exist  in  his  model.  He  can,  however,  con- 
trol the  positions,  and  the  light  and  shadow,  so  as  to 
secure  the  most  pleasing  and  characteristic  lines  these 
models  possess,  and  he  can,  by  the  selection  and  arrange- 
ment of  his  accessories,  secure  the  harmonious  disposal 
of  lines  and  tones  in  his  pictures;  the  liberal  use  of 
accessories  now  customary  in  photographic  portraiture 
permitting  unusual  facilities  in  this  direction;  but  these 
should  be  used  so  as  to  secure  unity  and  simplicity, 
harmony  and  breadth. 

One  of  the  first  considerations  in  connection  with 
portraiture,  and  especially  where,  as  in  card  pictures, 
the  full  length  of  the  figure  is  shown,  will  be  as  to 
position.  This  has  much  to  do  with  the  expression  of 
character,  as  well  as  pictorial  effect.  Before  speaking 
of  the  position  of  the  model,  a  word  or  two  in  regard 
to  the  position  in  the  picture,  may  not  be  out  of  place, 
as  this  effects  the  general  result  more  than  at  first  sight 
may  be  imagined.  The  figure  should  never,  or  at  least 
very  rarely,  be  exactly  in  the  middle,  or  equidistant 
from  each  side  of  the  picture;  nothing  is  more  formal 
or  destructive  of  pictorial  effect  than  such  a  position. 
As  a  general  principle,  more  space  should  be  in  front  of 
the  figure  than  behind,  unless  some  peculiarity  of  ar- 
rangement of  the  accessories  suggests  a  different  dis- 
posal. If  the  figure  be  placed  equidistant  from  the  top 
and  bottom  of  the  picture,  it  is  still  more  destructive  of 
suggestive  truth  and  pictorial  effect  than  if  equidistant 


100  PRINCIPLES   AND   PRACTICE   OF   COLORING. 

from  the  sides.  The  distance  from  the  top  and  bottom 
is  the  chief  means  of  suggesting  the  height  of  the 
figure.  The  nearer  the  head  is  to  the  top  of  the  picture, 
the  taller  the  figure  will  appear;  and  the  greater  the 
space  overhead,  the  shorter  will  be  the  appeai*ance  of 
the  model.  Where  a  series  of  portraits  of  a  specific 
size  is  issued,  as  in  the  card  portraits  now  common,  a 
specific  proportion  might  with  propriety  be  adopted. 
These  pictures  are,  for  instance,  generally  about  three 
inches  and  a  half  in  length;  on  such  a  size,  a  standing 
figure  six  feet  in  height  might  properly  be  made  three 
inches  high  in  the  picture.  If,  then,  the  remaining  half 
inch  were  divided  so  that  the  feet  of  the  figure  were 
one-eighth  of  an  inch  from  the  bottom,  and  the  head 
three-eighths  from  the  top,  a  fair  suggestion  of  the  true 
proportions  would  be  obtained.  In  larger  portraits, 
especially  busts,  the  position  is  not  so  important,  but 
should  still  receive  attention.  A  bust  in  profile,  or 
three-quarter  face,  should  have  more  space  in  front  of 
the  head  than  behind;  a  bust  presenting  the  direct  full 
face  may,  however,  without  impropriety  have  the  head 
equidistant  from  the  sides. 

The  position  of  the  model  may  be  varied  without 
limit;  but  it  should  be  the  aim  to  secure  grace,  and 
character,  or  both.  Not  less  important  than  these  in 
producing  a  satisfactory  effect,  is  the  presence  of  a  pur- 
pose or  object  in  the  position.  It  is  not  intended  by 
this  to  imply  that  the  sitter  should  in  all  cases  be  en- 
gaged in  some  occupation,  but  care  should  be  taken  to 
avoid  the  suggestion  of  entire  vacancy,  or  the  self-con- 
sciousness of  having  a  portrait  taken.  In  the  portrait 
of  a  lady  a  variety  of  resources  may  be  found;  she  may 
be  examining  a  bouquet,  arranging  a  vase  of  flowers, 
buttoning  a  glove,  examining  a  picture,  reading  a  letter, 


A    FEW   WORDS   ON   PORTRAITURE.  101 

&c,  &c.  In  the  portraits  of  gentlemen,  the  same  occu- 
pations would  be  less  suitable,  but  others  are  available; 
even  the  conventional  book  held  in  the  hand  need  not 
necessarily  be  arranged  in  the  common-place  conven- 
tional manner. 

Entire  repose  is  by  no  means  inadmissible,  but  care 
should  be  used  to  secure  the  absolute  feeling  and  ap- 
pearance of  intelligent  repose,  avoiding  alike  effort  and 
vacuity.  In  all  cases,  straight  lines  and  angles  should 
be  avoided  as  much  as  possible  in  arranging  the  position. 
The  figure  perfectly  upright,  without  inclination  or 
curve  of  any  kind,  is  not  graceful  in  any  one,  and  in  a 
lady  is  especially  awkward  and  undesirable.  The  figure 
may  lean  against  a  column,  a  chair,  &c,  or  in  a  variety 
of  ways  a  little  inclination  may  be  induced,  and  curved 
flowing  lines  secured.  In  standing,  the  weight  of  the 
body  should  rest  on  one  foot;  this  will  secure  a  more 
perfect  sensation  of  ease  and  balance  than  can  possibly 
be  obtained  when  the  figure  is  supported  on  both  feet. 
Whatever  action  may  be  desired  in  the  model  should 
not  be  secured  at  the  expense  of  ease;  there  can  be  no 
grace  or  pictorial  effect  in  the  suggestion  of  an  over- 
strained muscle  or  dislocated  limb. 

As  regards  the  question  of  composition,  the  greater 
the  simplicity  the  more  perfect  will  be  the  result.  Elab- 
oration or  complexity  is  undesirable  at  all  times  in  por- 
traiture, and  in  photographic  portraiture  especially  so. 
It  is,  however,  an  important  point,  that  a  proper  balance 
of  lines,  and  of  light  and  dark  be  secured.  If  all  the 
lines  in  a  picture  tended  in  one  direction,  a  most  un- 
comfortable effect  would  be  produced;  or  if  all  the  ob- 
jects or  masses  were  accumulated  at  one  side,  leaving 
the  other  bare  and  empty,  the  result  would  be  just  as 
unsatisfactory.     All  pictures  should  have  at  least  one 


102     PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE  OP  COLORING. 

principal  light,  to  which  all  the  rest  is  subordinate. 
This,  in  portraiture,  is  generally  the  face,  upon  which 
the  chief  interest  is  supposed  to  be  concentrated.  The 
light  niay  be  repeated  in  varying  forms  and  more  sub- 
dued degree,  so  as  to  carry  them  throughout  the  picture, 
a  general  principle  of  chiaroscuro  requiring  that  some 
light  should  be  carried  into  the  deepest  shadows,  and 
vice  versa.  It  is  desirable,  also,  that  the  weight,  or 
heaviest  part  of  the  picture,  both  in  color  and  form, . 
should  be  at  the  base.  Thus,  the  standing  figure  of  a 
man  unsupported  by  accessories  is  very  uncomfortable- 
looking;  the  picture  requires  a  broader  base;  this  may 
be  secured  by  the  arrangement  of  accessories,  or  even 
by  the  simple  resource  of  a  stick  or  umbrella  in  his 
hand,  placed  at  an  angle  with  the  body.  The  best  effect 
is  produced  when  the  darkest  masses  are  arranged  at 
the  bottom  of  the  picture,  as  that  also  tends  to  the  pro- 
duction of  equilibrium  or  balance.  Let  it  be  distinctly 
remembered,  however,  that  these  and  all  other  effects  in 
composition  must  appear  natural,  and  of  course,  the  arti- 
fice must  not  be  seen.  The  veriest  smatterers  in  art  have 
an  impressiou  that  the  pyramidal  form  is  the  most  satis- 
factory in  composition ;  but  it  requires  the  skill  of  an 
experienced  artist  to  secure  the  effect  without  obtruding 
the  means. 

Contrast  is  an  important  element  in  pictorial  effect: 
contrast  in  lines,  and  contrast  in  tones.  The  value  of 
curved  lines  will  be  best  made  apparent  by  contrasting 
them  with  straight  lines;  relief,  vigor,  and  brilliancy 
are  obtained  by  due  contrast  and  variety  of  tones. 
Contrasts,  however,  should  never  be  harsh  or  violent. 
Masses  of  black  and  white  brought  crudely  together, 
without  gradation  of  any  kind,  certainly  produce  con- 
trasts, but  without  anything  of  pictorial  effect.     One  of 


A  FEW  WORDS  ON   PORTRAITURE.  103 

the  most  important  qualities  in  a  picture  is  breadth,  of 
which  crude  and  harsh  contrasts  are  entirely  destruc- 
tive. The  immediate  juxtaposition  of  black  and  white 
draperies  or  accessories  should,  therefore,  be  as  much  as 
possible  avoided.  Both  are  necessary  in  a  picture,  but 
they  should  always  be  more  or  less  graduated  in  their 
approach  to  each  other.  For  this  reason  the  background 
of  a  photograph  is  generally  best  of  a  middle  tint,  which 
does  not  contrast  harshly  with  either  dark  or  light 
draperies. 

An  important  element  in  securing  the  harmonious 
contrast  of  tones  is  the  judicious  lighting  of  the  model. 
By  all  means  avoid  a  direct  front  light,  which  is  des- 
tructive of  all  relief.  Let  the  light  fall  on  the  model  at 
an  angle  of  about  45°;  direct  vertical  light  should  be 
carefully  avoided ;  side  light  may,  on  the  other  hand, 
be  freely  used.  Direct  light,  it  should  be  remembered, 
gives  force;  diffused  light,  softness.  The  best  results 
are  obtained  by  judiciously  combining  the  two;  direct 
light  to  give  forms  or  contours,  diffused  light  to  give 
texture.  Too  much  diffused  light  leads  to  flatness  and 
tameness,  by  weakening  the  shadows.  Some  positive 
light  and  shadow  are  necessary  to  force  and  vigor. 

In  the  small  full-length  portraits  now  fashionable,  a 
variety  of  accessories  and  pictorial  backgrounds  are 
permissible.  In  the  use  of  these,  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant things  is  the  preservation  of  keeping,  by  the 
combination  of  such  pictorial  effects  in  the  background, 
and  such  accessories  only  as  are  harmonious  with  each 
other  and  with  the  character  of  the  sitter.  Nothing 
can  be  more  ludicrously  incongruous  than  the  combi- 
nations sometimes  perpetrated ;  the  furniture  of  a  draw- 
ing-room apparently  standing  on  the  sea-shore;  a  lady 
in  evening  dress  standing  amid   Swiss   mountains;  a 


104  PRINCIPLES   AND  PRACTICE   OF   COLORING. 

stolid  old  gentleman  sitting  amid  vases,  balustrades, 
&c,  all  wreathed  with  flowers.  Or  even  when  keeping 
is  preserved  in  these  respects,  it  is  not  uncommon  to 
see  gross  violations  of  all  possible  perspective;  objects 
in  the  background  lighted  from  one  side,  whilst  the 
model  is  lighted  from  the  opposite  direction,  &c.  It  is 
not  necessary,  because  a  column,  a  curtain,  or  a  chair 
are  really  good  of  their  kind,  and  free  from  the  com- 
mon-place or  vulgar  in  design  and  style,  that  they  should 
appear  in  every  picture;  nor  because  a  balustrade  is 
real  and  well  designed,  that  it  should  be  obtruded  in 
advance  of  the  sitter.  Variety  is  desirable  in  acces- 
sories, both  as  regards  color  and  form,  so  as  to  be  readily 
able  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  composition.  In  using 
painted  backgrounds,  care  should  be  taken  that  the 
light  and  shadow  correspond  with  that  oil  the  model, 
and  it  is  desirable  to  avoid  designs,  such  as  foregrounds 
of  tessellated  pavement,  which  show  in  a  very  definite 
manner,  the  exact  direction  of  the  perspective  lines, 
and  thus  suggest  one  point  of  light  for  the  landscape, 
and  another  for  the  figure.  The  carpet,  or  whatever 
maybe  used  for  the  foreground,  should  be  dark  in  color, 
and  not  of  a  pattern  too  strikingly  defined. 

In  grouping  for  portraiture,  the  small  portraits  of 
which  we  have  been  speaking,  permit  the  exercise  of 
considerable  discretion  and  render  the  task  less  difficult 
than  in  larger  photographic  groups.  Fewer  accessories 
are  necessary  for  the  purpose  of  composition,  the  balance 
of  the  picture  being  generally  obtained  by  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  figures.  Variety  may  be  obtained  by  the 
contrast  of  sitting  and  standing  figures,  by  full  face  and 
profile  figures,  &c.  &c. 

These  short  hints  and  brief  statement  of  general 
principles  will,  it  is  hoped,  be  found  useful  to  many 
photographers. 


CONCLUDING    REMARKS. 


105 


CONCLUDING  EEMAEKS. 

The  general  principles  of  pictorial  effect  herein  enunci- 
ated have  been,  at  the  risk  of  redundancy  and  repetition, 
sometimes  reiterated  in  the  instructions  for  different 
methods  of  coloring.  Where  such  reiteration  has  heen 
avoided,  the  reader  will  remember  that  the  principles 
are  not  the  less  applicable  throughout,  and  that  the  in- 
structions for  one  style  of  coloring  will  often  he  found 
to  contain  hints  equally  applying  to  all  styles.  Bearing 
this  in  mind,  it  will  be  found,  we  think,  that  nothing 
which  could  aid  the  amateur  in  obtaining  a  practical 
knowledge  of  the  subject  has  been  omitted  from  the 
book.  Success  must  depend  on  the  individual,  and  after 
close  attention  to  the  instructions,  will  result  from  na- 
tural aptitude,  care,  and  perseverance. 


10 


ON 


LIGHTING  AND  POSING 


THE     SITTER. 


LIGHTS  AND  SKYLIGHTS,  AND  HOW  TO 
MANAGE  THEM. 


A  series  of  most  excellent  papers  appeared  in  the 
last  volume  of  the  "  Photographische  Mittheilungen," 
by  our  friend  Dr.  Vogel,  on  that  most  interesting  and 
all-important  subject,  of  lighting  and  posing  the  sitter, 
which  we  abstract  liberally  from,  in  the  following 
paper. 

After  dilating  upon  the  defects  which  too  frequently 
deprive  proofs,  irreproachable  in  a  technical  point  of 
view,  of  their  artistic  value,  the  author  proceeds  to 
point  out  the  means  of  avoiding  these  defects,  and  of 
producing  those  which  art  can  accept  without  going 
beyond  the  limits  within  which  photography  is  re- 
stricted. 

"  Here  many  points  are  to  be  observed,  and  we  shall  see 
that  to  obtain  claims  to  esteem  and  success,  the  photo- 
graphic artist  has  no  less  need  than  the  painter  and  sculp- 
tor, of  a  profound  study  of  light  and  shade,  and  of  the 
faculty  of  observation.  In  the  same  manner  that  these 
latter,  to  produce  a  work  full  of  life  and  beauty,  must 
study  the  minutest  details,  the  flow  of  the  draperies,  and 
the  most  evanescent  expression,  so  the  photographer  is 
compelled  to  a  study,  no  less  minute,  of  his  original ;  he 
must  dwell  upon  its  tournwe,  its  clothing,  and  its  pose. 
Nevertheless,  the  two  arts — photography  and  painting — 

10* 


110  ON   LIGHTING   AND   POSING   THE    SITTER. 

differ  essentially;  the  aim  of  both  is  to  represent  on  a 
plane  surface  the  image  of  an  object  which  is  not  flat;  but 
a  painter  can  always  embellish,  in  an  artistic  point  of 
view,  an  imperfect  model:  he  completes  it  according  to 
the  suggestions  of  his  fancy,  and  imagination  can  cor- 
rect defects ;  in  a  word  idealize.  But  it  is  not  the  same 
with  the  photographer;  he  is  debarred  from  making 
the  slightest  change  in  his  pictures,  except  in  some 
accessory  details.  All  the  beauties  to  be  found  in  the 
copy  must  pre-exist  in  the  original;  his  whole  task  is, 
therefore,  limited  to  posing  and  lighting  the  model  in 
the  most  advantageous  manner;  then  to  animate  it ;  and 
then,  but  not  till  tben,  commence  his  mechanical  opera- 
tion of  exposure. 

"  But  this  is  not  saying,  however,  that  it  is  sufficient 
to  have  good  models  in  order  to  obtain  good  artistic 
proofs.  Suppose  the  model  to  be  imperfect;  the  pho- 
tographer must  know  how  to  seize  upon  the  least  de- 
fective aspect,  or,  at  least,  apply  himself  to  conceal  its 
defects  as  much  as  possible.  If  this  point  be  neglected 
the  most  perfect  apparatus,  the  purest  chemicals,  and 
the  most  approved  formula?  will  never  suffice  to  the 
production  of  a  good  proof. 

"  We  now  proceed  to  examine  in  detail  the  elemen- 
tary principles  of  the  art.  The  first  point  which  will 
engage  our  attention  is  lighting. 

"Lighting. — Light  is  the  vital  element;  it  is  the 
photographer's  pencil. 

"  An  exact  knowledge  of  the  properties  of  light  is  as 
important  to  the  photographer  as  a  knowledge  of  pig- 
ments is  to  the  painter. 

"  Like  the  draughtsman  and  the  painter,  the  photo- 
grapher's aim  is  to  produce  on  a  plane  surface  a  repre- 
sentation of  objects,  giving  an  impression  of  their  being 


LIGHTS   AND   SKYLIGHTS.  Ill 

in  relief.  The  figures  must  not  appear  flat  like  the 
paper  which  hears  them,  but  modelled,  with  all  their 
planes.  Two  means  contribute  to  produce  this  illusion  ; 
the  first  is  perspective. 

"All  objects  of  the  same  dimensions  appear  smaller 
when  at  a  distance  from  the  eye  than  when  they  arc 
near  to  it.  Now,  if  the  draughtsman,  starting  from 
this  observation,  takes  care  to  proportion  his  figures  in 
a  true  relation  according  to  their  distance  from  the 
spectator,  he  will  succeed  in  producing  the  illusion  of 
nearness  or  distance,  although  the  figures,  being  de- 
picted on  a  flat  surface,  are  really  at  the  same  distance 
from  the  eye.  Pictures  in  which  this  law  had  not  been 
taken  into  consideration,  like  those  of  Cranach,  Van 
Eyck,  and  others  of  the  old  masters,  appear  really  flat. 
We  at  once  comprehend  how  important  perspective  is 
to  the  draughtsman  and  painter. 

"  The  second  means  of  giving  a  plastic  appearance  to 
the  figures  projected  on  a  plane  is  the  proper  distribution 
of  light  and  shade,  or  technically  speaking,  chiaroscuro. 

"We  may  ascertain  the  importance  of  this  distribu- 
tion of  light  and  shade  very  clearly  by  drawing  two 
rectangles  side  by  side ;  they  are  both  only  simple  plane 
surfaces.  But  when  we  shade  one  of  them  with  India- 
ink,  deepening  gradually  from  one  side  to  the  other, 
this  rectangle,  without  ceasing  to  be  a  plane,  suddenly 
presents  the  appearace  of  a  cylinder.  On  the  other 
hand,  rounded  objects  sometimes  appear  as  though  they 
were  flat,  by  deficiency  of  contrast  of  light  and  shade. 
We  know  very  well  that  perspective  in  photography 
depends  almost  exclusively  upon  the  instruments,  and 
to  obtain  it,  it  is  sufficient  that  the  position  of  the  ob- 
jective or  the  camera  obscura  be  such  that  the  feet, 
hands,  &c,  are  not  enlarged  by  the  lenses.     The  artist 


112  ON   LIGHTING   AND   POSING   THE    SITTER. 

has  then  only  to  occupy  himself  with  what  constitutes 
his  capital  resource,  the  distribution  of  light  and  shade, 
and  it  is  in  his  power  to  obtain  everything  by  it.  Let 
us  examine  more\-losely  what  takes  place,  and  first 
study  the  essential  matter  that  produces  the  pictures, 
viz.,  light.  This  agent,  which  nature  furnishes  us  with 
for  nothing,  is  so  energetic  in  its  action,  that  we  do  not 
know  how  to  obtain  halftone  in  the  direct  rays  of  the 
sun,  or  with  unattenuated  light.  In  portraits,  for  ex- 
ample, we  should  never  have  anything  but  faces  flat 
white  on  one  side,  and  of  a  deep  black  on  the  other, 
without  modelling  or  relief,  harshly  cut  bjr  shadows 
without  transition  or  chiaroscuro.  Reflections  from 
screens  and  other  reflectors  do  not  give  the  best  results, 
even  when  the  light  of  the  sun  does  not  illuminate  the 
model  directly.  Curtains,  even,  only  protect  the  model 
in  a  veiy  insufficient  manner;  the  light  passing  through 
them  also  destroys  the  chiaroscuro,  and  renders  the 
image  vague  and  indecisive.  Consequently,  we  banish 
the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  not  only  from  the  sitter  or 
object,  but  also  from  the  operating  room,  which  must 
be  lighted  from  the  north,  and  moreover,  protected  by 
a  screen,  allowing  the  operator  to  work  in  diffused  light, 
whether  the  sky  be  clear  or  cloudy. 

"Although  we  may  in  general  consider  the  rays  of 
the  sun  as  being  parallel  with  each  other,  the  rays  ema- 
nating from  the  sky  take,  none  the  less,  all  manner  of 
directions ;  those  proceeding  from  the  horizon  are  hori- 
zontal; those  which  come  from  the  zenith  are  vertical. 
These  facts  are  important  to  note.  "While  a  body  lighted 
by  the  sun  presents  a  clearly  marked  contrast  of  light 
and  shade,  by  virtue  of  the  parallelism  of  the  luminous 
rays,  in  another  body  illumined  all  over  by  the  light 
of  the  whole  celestial  vault,  the  lights  and  shades  will 


LIGHTS    AND    SKYLIGHTS.  113 

be  found  mingled  without  opposition.  In  this  particular 
circumstance,  a  salient  body  appears  flat,  as  we  may 
assure  ourselves  by  regarding  very  elaborate  architec- 
tural ornaments  in  cloudy  weather.  And  this  explains 
the  slight  relief  in  portraits  taken  at  such  times. 

"If  the  sitter,  in  a  photographic  operating  room,  re- 
ceives light  all  over,  the  picture  will,  necessarily,  be 
without  relief.  From  this  it  follows  that  to  obtain  good 
proofs,  truly  modelled,  the  light  must  necessarily  fall 
only  on  one  side  of  the  object. 

"  To  obtain  this  effect,  we  furnish  our  operating  room 
with  movable  curtains.  This  side  light  furnishes  us 
with  a  suitable  distribution  of  light  and  shade,  but  it 
does  not  MIqw  that  the  dark  side  of  the  object  must 
receive  no  light  whatever;  on  the  contrary,  it  must  be 
moderately  lighted  by  means  of  reflecting  screens,  which 
reduce  the  strength  of  the  shadows,  permitting  the  de- 
tails to  be  seen,  and  establish  an  harmonious  transition 
in  the  whole.  We  will  show  in  what  direction  the  mass 
of  light  must  fall  upon  the  sitter. 

"The  several  cases  that  present  themselves  maybe 
reduced  to  the  three  following :  The  light  falls  upon  the 
model  in  front,  full  face,  that  is  to  say,  starting  from  a 
point  situated  opposite  the  nose;  on  one  side,  that  is  to 
say,  in  a  direction  perpendicular  to  the  preceding  ;from 
above,  parallel  to  the  length  of  the  body.  We  thus  dis- 
tinguish, then,  three  kinds  of  lighting;  that  from  oppo- 
site, or  full  face ;  that  from  one  side,  or  side  light;  and 
that  from  above,  or  top  light.  If  we  suppose  for  a  mo- 
ment that  a  narrow  window  at  the  side  of  a  sitter  in  a 
glass  room,  furnished  with  curtains,  is  opened,  the  fore- 
head perpendicular  to  the  glass,  the  model  will  evidently 
be  lighted  on  one  side;  then,  if  he  afterwards  turn  him- 
self towards  the  glass,  and  place  chest  and  forehead 


114 


ON    LI(.IIT1X<;    AND    POSING    THE    SITTER. 


parallel   to  the  latter,  the  lighting  will   immediately 
become  full  face. 

"We  perceive  by  this  operation,  that  the  denomina- 
tion of  the  lighting  will  vary  with  the  position  of  the 
sitter,  and  that  to  avoid  all  misunderstanding  on  this 
subject,  we  must  fix  the  meaning  of  these  denomina- 
tions differently  from  what  they  have  been  understood 
hitherto.  Suppose,  then,  that  the  paper  upon  which 
we  now  draw  the  figure  which  will  serve  for  our  demon- 
stration, be  the  floor  of  the  operating  room;  the  square 


A 

□X. 


XaUFace 


A  the  camera;  P  the  sitter,  seated  square  to  it;  we 
name  the  light  which  strikes  the  sitter  in  the  direction 
V  V  (the  line  which  unites  the  sitter  and  the  camera), 
the  lighting  in  full  face;  the  horizontal  ray  S  S  perpen- 
dicular to  this  line,  lighting  from  the  side;  and  the  ver- 
tical ray  falling  upon  the  sitter,  lighting  from  above. 

"  But  independently  of  these  three  principal  directions, 
light  may  affect  many  other  intermediate  ones,  for  ex- 
ample, that  which  we  call  three-quarter  light.  L  L,  that. 
Avhich  falls  from  above  diagonal^,  &c.  A\re  now  proceed 
to  observe  and  describe  the  effect  of  these  three  kinds 
of  lighting,  full  face,  side  light,  and  top  light.  To  do  this 
let  the  reader  imagine  three  portraits  lighted  in  these 
three  different  ways.     By  this  means  we  can  demon- 


LIGHTS    AM)    SKYLIGHTS.  115 

strate  the  powerful  influence  that  lighting  exercises 
upon  the  relief  and  tone  of  the  picture,  upon  the  like- 
ness and  general  character  of  the  physiognomy." 

Dr.  Yogel  then  comments  upon  the  effect  of  different 
lightings,  such  as  above  described,  upon  three  portraits 
actually  taken  of  one  person,  portraits  so  perfectly  un- 
like each  other  that  few  or  none  would  imagine  that 
they  came  from  the  same  original. 

Of  a  portrait  lighted  exclusively  from  above,  he  re- 
marks :  "  The  eyebrows  form  a  hard  projection,  the 
nose  casts  a  very  black  shadow,  the  prominent  cheek- 
bones cause  the  cheeks  to  appear  hollow,  the  mouth  is 
hard  and  exaggerated,  and  the  beard  projects  like  a 
cushion." 

Of  one  lighted  only  from  the  side,  he  says :  "  The 
beard  is  lighted,  the  cheeks  under  the  cheek-bones  are 
flaccid  and  deficient  in  roundness,  while  the  eyes  ap- 
pear almost  flat  in  the  head. 

"  On  the  contrary,  the  forehead,  cheek-bones,  and 
under  the  nose,  show  lines  which  disappear  entirely  in 
the  former  case. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  in  the  present  case,  the  lines  under 
the  eyes  and  nostrils  are  much  more  strongly  marked 
than  in  the  former.  From  the  hard  manner  in  which 
the  shadows  cut  the  lights,  the  whole  of  the  second 
portrait  has  the  effect  of  a  cube,  a  corner  of  which  is 
turned  towards  the  eye  of  the  spectator.  It  is  the  me- 
dium line  of  the  visage  which  dominates  over  all  the 
others,  and  imparts  to  the  physiognomy  the  aspect  of  a 
goat. 

"In  the  portrait  illuminated  from  the  full  face,  on 
the  contrary,  it  is  like  a  cube  with  one  of  its  sides  facing 
us;  the  eyebrows  are  scarcely  to  be  made  o\it.     There 


116  ON    LIGHTING   AND   POSING   THE   SITTER. 

are  no  traces  of  the  characteristic  lines  we  have  de- 
scribed as  existing  above  and  below  the  nose,  in  the 
preceding  figures;  the  beard  and  clothing  are  almost  as 
flat  as  the  face.  The  lines  of  the  nose  extend  beyond 
the  eyes,  and  are  prolonged  beyond  them  in  two  sym- 
metrical curves.  The  mouth  is  small  in  comparison 
with  that  in  the  first  portrait.  flThe  whole  has  the  aspect 
of  a  flat  board  upon  which  the  outlines  of  a  face  have 
been  drawn. 

"From  the  comparison  of  these  three  portraits,  it 
follows  that  the  lighting  completely  changes  the  lines 
and  depressions  of  a  face,  by  suppressing  or  increasing 
them.  If  we  also  take  into  account  the  action  of  the 
lighting  upon  the  color  of  the  different  parts,  we  shall 
be  immediately  struck  with  the  difference  between  the 
hair  and  the  beard.  While  in  the  first  and  second  case 
it  appears  to  be  gray,  in  the  last  it  appears  to  be  black; 
in  the  first  portrait,  and  in  the  lighted  part  of  a  pro- 
perly illuminated  portrait,  every  hair  may  be  distin- 
guished. In  the  third  case,  on  the  contrary,  the  hair 
and  the  beard  form  a  compact  mass  deprived  of  detail. 

"The  cause  of  this  want  of  detail  is  also  due  to  the 
lighting,  as  the  illumined  side  of  the  hair  shows  to  us. 
In  the  lighting  of  this  side,  the  light  and  shade  of  every 
hair  are  quite  distinct,  and  the  entire  head  of  hair  is 
modified  in  its  aspect.  If  it  appears  much  blacker  in 
the  third  case,  it  was  because  the  model  in  this  position 
was  much  further  from  the  light  than  in  the  other  two; 
the  clothing  is  darker  for  the  same  reason.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  background  is  lighter  than  in  the  first 
two;  this  is  because  it  receives  more  light  than  the 
model;  besides,  the  shadows  of  the  latter  are  almost  en- 
tirely concealed  by  itself,  while  in  the  second  and  third 
the  background,  situated  several  feet  from  the  objective, 


LIGHTS   AND   SKYLIGHTS.  117 

receives  only  a  part  of  the  light  which  falls  directly  on 
the  sitter  vertically  or  on  one  side.  We  must  also  re- 
mark on  the  light  color  of  the  coat  in  Fig.  1  (that  of 
the  sitter  was  black);  this  is  an  effect  of  the  chemical 
action  of  the  vertical  light,  an  action  carried  here  to  its 
maximum  of  intensity;  by  a  natural  consequence,  the 
hair  and  the  forehead  experience  the  same  action,  and 
their  excessive  lightness  causes  the  shades  to  appear 
blacker.  We  see  by  this  also  that  the  lighting  greatly 
modifies  the  color  of  the  hair,  clothes,  and  background. 
We  now  arrive  at  the  influence  of  the  lighting  upon  the 
expression,  and  here  the  most  superficial  observer  will 
agree  with  us  that,  believing  that  a  very  sharp,  care- 
fully manipulated  proof  must  always  be  a  good  likeness, 
is  to  fall  into  a  palpable  error." 

It  is  then  shown  that  the  effect  of  a  lighting  from 
above  exclusively,  is  to  produce  dark  and  scowling  eyes, 
and  this  repulsive  air  is  also  increased  by  the  strongly 
projected  nose,  the  strongly  compressed  corners  of  the 
mouth,  and  the  prominent  cheek-bones  standing  out  in 
violent  contrast  from  the  dark  parts  of  the  cheeks. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  light  thrown  exclusively  from 
the  front  gives  the  expression  vacant,  dull  and  pale, 
soulless  eyes,  like  those  of  a  dead  codfish.  The  lines  of 
the  features,  which  impart  to  them  character  and  ener- 
gy, are  completely  obliterated.  The  portrait  lighted 
on  one  side  occupies  a  medium  between  the  two,  less 
stupid  than  the  one,  less  fierce  than  the  other;  but  the 
contrast  of  light  and  shade  gives  to  this  portrait,  with 
its  wrinkled  brow,  a  too  excited  expression ;  whilst 
the  shaded  side  of  the  face  has  too  menacing  an  expres- 
sion for  the  lighted  portion.  The  physiognomy  is  more 
characteristic  than  the  others,  but  it  is  not  the  portrait 
of  the  individual  as  he  really  appears;  it  is  too  angular. 

11 


118  ON    LIGHTING   AND   POSING    THE    SETTEE. 

Here,  again,  we  can  prove  the  importance  of  the  light- 
ing, and  how  much  it  may  cause  the  expression  of  the 
face  to  vary.  It  may  brighten  a  gloomy  countenance, 
and  soften  it;  and.  on  the  other  hand,  deprive  a  strongly 
marked  physiognomy  of  all  its  expression. 

"The  reader  will  naturally  inquire,  which  of  these 
portraits  presents  the  true  expression  of  the  model. 

"Not  one  of  them.  But  to  give  an  idea  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  three  lightings  we  have  adopted  must 
modify  the  physiognomy  of  a  person,  we  must  imagine 
a  fourth  portrait." 

The  proper  effect  is  produced  by  a  right  combination 
of  the  three  methods  of  lighting — light  from  before, 
from  above,  and  from  one  side,  a  front  upper  side  light. 
In  this  case  the  principal  mass  of  light  comes  from  an 
opening,  some  feet  in  front  of  the  sitter,  and  above,  to 
the  right  or  left  of  him,  so  that  the  light  shall  strike 
the  head  at  an  angle  of  about  forty-five  degrees.*  (In 
a  gallery  provided  with  dark  curtains,  such  a  light  is 
easily  produced  by  removing  the  roof  curtains,  some 
feet  in  front  of  the  sitter,  and  also  the  corresponding- 
side  curtains.) 

This  mode  of  lighting  is  that  which  gives  the  boldest 
relief  to  the  model,  and  will  frecpicntly  be  found  in  the 
portraits  of  our  best  operators,  who  have  instinctively 
hit  upon  it,  perhaps  only  after  endless  changes  and  ex- 
periments. 

Thus  may  be  obtained  the  portrait  ~Ko.  4,  which  will 
be  a  correct  likeness.  It  may  be  termed  the  normal  mode 
of  lighting,  and  is  applicable  to  the  great  mass  of  medium 
styles  of  face.     But  any  one  stereotyped  mode  of  light- 

*  It  must  be  remarked  that  an  upper  light,  coming  from  fair  in  front, 
partakes  of  the  effect  of  a  front  light.  So  a  very  broad  upper  light  par- 
takes of  a  side  light,  a  fact  of  consequence  to  those  who  operate  in  low- 
roofed  galleries. 


LIGHTS    AND    SKYLIGHTS.  119 

ing  cannot  be  adopted  for  all.  and  should  bo  varied 
according  to  the  style  of  physiognomy. 

If  a  sitter  has  a  very  sharply  marked,  energetic  physi- 
ognomy, with  deep  folds,  the  predominant  light  must 
be  moved  forward,  and  take  more  the  character  of  a 
front  tight,  which  will  give  more  mildness  and  softness 
to  the  harsh  traits. 

Oppositely,  if  the  sitter  has  a  sleepy,  flat,  but  little 
marked  face,  the  light  must  take  more  the  character  of 
an  upper  light,  to  add  energy  to  the  expression. 

For  ladies  of  a  somewhat  advanced  age,  the  use  of  a 
very  soft  front  light  is  advisable,  to  diminish  the  effect 
of  wrinkles  and  disadvantageous  shadows. 

In  a  word,  it  ma}'  be  taken  as  a  general  rule  that  all 
derations  and  depressions  ichich  are  to  be  concealed  or  soft- 
ened, must  be  so  lighted  that  they  will  cast  none,  or  little 
sliadow,  and  the  converse. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  these  principles 
must  not  be  carried  to  extremes,  nor  must  the  faults  of 
the  original  be  so  concealed  that  resemblance  is  lost. 
How  far  this  is  allowable  must  always  be  left  to  the 
judgment  and  taste  of  the  photographer. 

To  make  this  paper  more  complete,  we  present  a  cut 
of  Mr.  Thomas  Sutton's  glass-room,  together  with  ex- 
tracts from  a  paper  by  him,  read  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Photographic  Society  of  Scotland.  After  commenting 
largely  upon  the  importance  of  having  the  glass-room 
in  a  proper  locality,  Mr.  Sutton  remarks: 

"  The  question  of  the  proper  construction  of  the  glass- 
room  ought  never  to  be  how  to  make  the  most  of  a  bad 
situation,  but  how  to  construct  the  best  possible  room 
in  a  thoroughly  suitable  situation. 

"Assuming  then,  that  we  have  a  suitable  situation, 


120  ON   LIGHTING   AND   POSING    THE   SITTER. 

what  is  the  best  construction  of  the  glass-room  ?  Ex- 
amine first  the  generality  of  photographic  portraits, 
and  then  go  about  amongst  photographers,  and  observe 
the  kind  of  room  in  which  these  photographs  are  taken, 
and  I  think  the  truth  will  not  fail  to  dawn  upon  you. 
The  common  faults  of  the  photographs  are  in  the  eyes 
and  the  expression,  while  the  common  faults  of  glass- 
rooms  are  that  there  is  too  much  top  light,  too  much 
glare,  too  much  light  opposite  the  eye,  too  much  dirty 
glass,  and  that  they  are  too  short,  and  have  too  little 
ventilation. 

A  glass-room  is  generally  an  uncomfortable  place  to 
go  into,  and  no  one  would  willingly  sit  in  a  chair  in  the 
front  of  the  background  and  face  the  light,  if  there 
were  any  other  chair  in  the  room  unoccupied.  The 
place  of  the  sitter  is  the  most  uncomfortable  in  the 
most  uncomfortable  of  rooms;  how,  then,  can  a  photo- 
grapher hope  to  get  a  pleasing  expression  in  his  picture  ? 

"  The  type  of  the  worst  possible  construction  of  glass- 
room  is,  I  think,  that  at  King's  College,  as  well  as  that 
of  M.  Claudet,  in  both  of  which  there  is  glass  all  around, 
and  a  glass  roof,  pointed  in  the  former  case,  and  round 
in  the  latter.  The  term  '  glass-room'  very  properly  ap- 
plies to  this  sort  of  construction;  and  if  we  bear  in  mind 
that  it  is  not  a  glass-room  that  we  want,  but  rather  a 
long  dark  passage,  we  can  then  change  both  the  name 
and  the  plan  of  the  studio  (the  '  crystal  gallery,'  as  it  is 
sometimes  facetiously  called)  at  the  same  time.  Let  us 
then  agree  in  future  to  call  the  studio  the  dark  gallery, 
and  remember  that  it  is  darkness,  coolness,  and  ventila- 
tion that  we  want,  and  not  heat,  glare,  and  a  common 
promenade  for  the  friends  of  the  sitter,  which  is  to  look 
showy  and  smart.  Let  the  reception-room  be  as  elegant 
as  you  please,  but  let  the  studio  be  as  it  were  another 


LIGHTS    AND    SKYLIGHTS.  121 

optical  contrivance1 — a  sort  of  continuation  of  the  cam- 
era; and  let  it  be  just  as  ugly  inside,  and  with  walls 
blackened  in  the  same  way  wherever  blackness  is  re- 
quired. Let  us  not  forget  that  the  walls  of  the  studio 
are  intended  to  keep  out  the  light,  and  the  glass  only 
intended  to  keep  the  wind  and  rain  from  entering 
through  those  openings  by  which  the  light  is  to  be 
properly  admitted. 

"  But  I  will  not  go  on  enlarging  upon  evils  with 
which  you  are  all,  gentlemen,  but  too  well  acquainted. 
I  will  endeavor  to  suggest  a  remedy,  and  leave  it  to 
you  to  discuss  the  merits  of  that  suggestion,  and  point 
out  the  mistakes  in  it,  if  tbere  are  any.  But  first,  let 
me  submit  for  your  inspection  four  little  portraits,  which 
I  cut  out,  the  other  day,  from  a  recent  number  of  the 
Bulletin  Beige,  and  which  illustrate  four  different  meth- 
ods of  lighting  the  sitter,  viz.,  by  a  top  light,  a  front  light, 
a  side  light,  and  an  oblique  light.  They  are  all  portraits 
of  the  same  person,  and  yet  I  beg  of  you  to  observe,  that 
so  different  are  the  effects  of  the  different  methods  of 
lighting,  that  the  likeness  of  the  same  individual  is 
scarcely  preserved  in  any  two  of  them.  Please  observe, 
also,  that  in  the  case  of  the  front  lighting,  the  e}Tes  are 
entirety  put  out  b}r  staring  at  the  light,  and  look  like 
two  white  wafers. 

"  The  following  is  a  plan  for  the  portrait  studio  1 
suggested  rather  more  than  three  years  ago,  in  an 
article  which  was  published  in  my  Photographic  Notes 
of  September  15,  1861 ;  and  although  I  have  considered 
the  matter  a  great  deal  since,  I  do  not  yet  see  any 
reason  for  modifying  that  plan  in  the  least.  C  D  is  a 
long  dark  passage  in  which  the  camera  is  placed.  The 
w^alls  and  ceiling  of  this  passage  ought  to  be  blackened 
with  lampblack  and  glue,  and  the  floor  should  be  covered 

11* 


122  ON   LIGHTING   AND   POSING   THE    SITTER. 

with  black  matting,  everything  being  dead  black,  and 
with  no  varnish.  The  space  B  C  on  both  sides  of  the 
room,  as  well  as  the  space  near  the  point  of  the  arrow, 


should  be  glass.  The  portion  A  B,  as  well  as  the  entire 
ceiling  over  the  sitter,  should  be  opaque,  and  the  ceiling 
sloping  in  the  way  which  I  have  indicated,  and  painted 
black,  in  order  that  it  may  reflect  no  light  downwards. 

"  The  room  should  have  a  true  northern  aspect,  and 
the  sitter  must  face  the  north.  One  of  the  side  lights 
must  always  be  shut.  Whenever  the  weather  permits, 
the  whole  of  the  front  window  must  be  opened,  in 
order  to  reduce  the  time  of  exposure,  and  ventilate 
the  room.  In  the  morning  the  eastern  side  light  should 
be  shut,  and  the  western  one  open,  and  conversely  in 
the  afternoon,  the  object  being  to  keep  out  the  sunshine, 
which  should  never  by  any  chance  enter  the  room. 
White  screens  will,  of  course,  be  necessary  at  times  for 
reflectors.  The  room  should  not  be  more  than  eight 
feet  wide,  and  its  length  should  be  at  least  forty  feet. 

"I  had  no  sooner  suggested  the  above  plan  of  glass- 
room  than  some  of  the  leading  professional  photogra- 
phers took  it  up,  but  with  modifications  of  their  own, 
none  of  which  I  think  were  good.  Instead  of  leaving 
the  front  light  perpendicular,  as  I  have  drawn  it,  they 
brought  the  point  C  nearer  to  D,  and  made  it  inclined, 


LIGHTS   AND    SKYLIGHTS.  123 

the  effect  of  which  -would  he,  of  course,  to  let  in  the 
sunshine  earlier  in  the  afternoon  as  well  as  to  lighten 
the  passage,  which  ought  to  be  kept  dark.  Besides 
which,  these  gentlemen  did  not  seem  to  recognize  the 
principle  of  shutting  out  top  light,  but  made  the  ceiling 
incline  the  other  way,  painted  it  while  instead  of  black, 
and  allowed  the  front  light  to  encroach  upon  it.  In 
fact,  they  treated  my  suggestion  as  a  mere  crude  idea, 
when  it  was,  in  fact,  the  result  of  much  careful  con- 
sideration in  every  part.  There  are,  however,  circum- 
stances under  which  it  -would  be  allowable  to  make  the 
front  light  a  little  more  inclined;  for  instance,  if  there 
should  happen  to  bo  a  very  high  wall  at  A.  I  need  not 
add  that  the  chief  advantages  I  claim  for  this  plan  of 
room  are,  that  the  eyes  of  the  sitter  are  directed  into 
darkness  (instead  of  being  made  to  stare  and  blink  at 
the  light),  b}r  which  a  pleasanter  expression  is  secured, 
and  the  eye  better  brought  out;  and  also  that  the  ad- 
vantages due  to  length  of  room  are  gained  without  the 
drawback  of  having  to  take  the  portrait  through  many 
feet  of  illuminated  haze,  and  thus  veil  the  shadows  of 
the  picture.  Even  if  the  passage  should  be  filled  with 
the  smoky  atmosphere  of  a  town,  the  smoke  would  not 
be  in  the  light  but  in  the  dark,  and  would  not,  therefore, 
produce  a  light  veil  upon  the  shadows  of  the  picture, 
but  would  merely  lengthen  the  time  of  exposure.  In 
the  common  form  of  glass-room  it  is  a  great  objection 
to  having  it  too  long,  and  to  using  long-focus  lenses; 
the  illuminated  smoke  in  the  atmosphere  veils  the  im- 
age upon  the  ground  glass,  and  fogs  the  negative."* 
Mr.  Sutton's  system,  though  ingenious,  is  neverthe- 

*  This  entire  paper  appeared  in  the  June  (1S65)  issue  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Photographer,  together  with  four  photographs  taken  in  the  manner 
described  herein. 


124 


ON    LIGHTING    AND    POSING    THE    SITTER. 


less  imperfect,  and  cannot  compare  in  efficiency  with 
a  method  introduced  last  year  in  England,  and  which 
has  been  adopted  by  Mr.  F.  A.  "Wenderoth,  of  Messrs. 


"Wenderoth,  Taylor  &  Brown,  Philadelphia.    It  is  46  feet 
long,  and  25  feet  wide,  with  a  northern  exposure  at  the 


LIGHTS    AND    SKYLIGHTS. 


125 


top,  and  eastern  and  western  at  the  sides.  The  lowest 
point  of  the  top  light  is  7j  feet  from  the  floor,  and  the 
highest  point  20  feet,  which  is  unnecessarily  high. 


The  arrangement  of  blinds  will  be  seen  in  the  cut 
on  page  124,  which  first  appeared  in    The  Philadelphia 


126 


ON    LIGHTING    AND    POSING    THE    SITTER. 


Photographer  for  December,  18C5,  together  -with  two 
portraits  made  in  this  skylight — one  with  an  entire 
side,  and  the  other  wholly  with  a  top  light. 

The  preceding  cut  also  represents  one  of  the  newest 
skylights  in  our  city,  which  was  engraved  for,  and  will 
appear  in  the  April  issue  of  The  Philadelphia  Photogra- 
pher, together  with  a  full  description  of  the  proportions, 
and  a  picture  made  in  it.  by  Messrs.  Henszey  &  Co..  of 
Philadelphia,  to  whom  it  belongs. 


OX  THE  CONSTRUCTION  OF  A  PHOTO- 
GRAPHIC GLASS-ROOM. 


Numerous  articles  have  been  written  on  this  subject 
with  more  or  less  ability,  but  it  is  no  disrespect  to  any 
one  to  say  that  our  knowledge  of  the  best  construction 
of  a  glass-room  is  still  empirical;  that  is,  no  principle 
has  been  established  which  applies  to  all  glass-rooms 
whereby  the  following  important  results  can  be  ob- 
tained : 

1.  The  lio-lit  to  be  under  control  in  winter  and  sum- 
mer — to  add  on  the  deficiency  of  the  one ;  to  subtract 
from  the  redundancy  of  the  other. 

2.  To  be  able  to  concentrate  the  light  on  the  most 
important  points  of  the  figure;  to  blend  and  soften  off 
into  positive  shadow  the  less  important  parts. 

3.  To  render  age  less  unplcasing;  make  beauty  more 
lovely;  to  impart  an  expression  of  intelligence  where 
nature  has  not  been  over  bountiful;  to  light  up  the  in- 
tellect, and  to  impart  the  quality  of  power,  in  those 
heads  on  which  she  has  lavished  her  most  precious  gifts; 
in  short,  to  be  able  to  present  human  nature  in  its  best 
form,  by  the  aid  of  a  camera  and  a  properly  lighted 
room. 

This  seems  a  rather  formidable  list;  and  I  am  not  un- 
mindful that  there  are  persons,  otherwise  well-informed, 


128  ON   LIGHTING   AND   POSING   THE    SITTER. 

who  sneer  at  the  photographer  as  a  presumptuous 
creature  for  venturing  to  tread  on  the  domain  of  art. 
His  hest  efforts  are  unblushingly  appropriated  without 
acknowledgment.  If  every  stolen  idea  from  the  pho- 
tographer could  cry  out  "Stop  thief!"  an  army  of  police- 
men would  be  necessary  to  take  into  custody  the  delin- 
quents that  gleam  and  shine  in  the  light  of  day,  from 
the  walls  of  every  public  exhibition  of  paintings,  not 
only  in  our  own  country,  but  in  every  other  where  art 
is  really  advancing,  and  honest  truth  has  taken  posses- 
sion of  public  taste.  The  gander  necks,  the  long  chins, 
the  saucer  ejTes,  brows  like  the  rainbow,  and  mouths 
like  that  of  a  cherub  on  the  tombstone  of  a  country 
churchyard,  with  which  our  forefathers  of  the  last 
generation  were  ignorantly  contented,  won't  do  now. 
Oh,  no!  all  this  is  changed;  every  well-filled  photo- 
graphic album  is  a  silent  monitor,  not  only  what  to  do, 
but  what  to  avoid  doing,  and,  above  all,  ivhat  to  dare  to 
do  with  the  wondi'ous  perspective  which  the  perfect 
optical  instruments  of  the  present  day  have  placed  at 
the  disposal  of  the  intelligent  photographer. 

The  solar  camera  is  coming  clown  on  art  like  an 
avalanche;  its  power,  its  beauty,  its  delicacy,  all  combine 
to  sweep  away  cobweb  inefficiency;  a  badly  drawn  por- 
trait, that  might  be  like  the  original,  or  accidentally 
like  any  one  else,  will  soon  be  a  thing  of  the  past.  All 
true  artists  will  hail  Avith  delight  this  harbinger  of  truth, 
this  real  living  presentment  of  a  man,  instead  of  the 
conventional  suit  of  clothes  with  which  the  Hoses  and 
Sons  of  art  have  hitherto  contrived  to  dress  up  the 
minds,  as  well  as  the  bodies,  of  their  afflicted  and  much- 
injured  patrons. 

This  theme  is  capable  of  extension ;  but  I  leave  it  in 
your  hands,  and  at  once  proceed  to  the  immediate  busi- 


CONSTRUCTION    OF   A    niOTOGRAnilC    GLASS-ROOM.       129 

ness  of  this  paper,  on  the  construction  of  a  glass-room, 
which  I  hope  may  contribute  to  greater  perfection  in 

things  photographic. 

Example : 

If  I  suspend  a  silvered  ball  in  the  centre  of  a  square 
room  and  open  a  window  to  the  left  hand,  the  light  im- 
pinging on  the  ball  will  radiate  from  a  central  pencil, 
and  gradually  but  imperceptibly  faint  away  past  the 
apparent  edges  into  obscurity.  A  sense  of  roundness 
is  imparted  to  the  optic  nerve,  and  a  very  clear  and 
well-defined  image  of  the  ball  is  produced. 

Now  if  I  open  another  window  in  front  of  the  ball, 
and  allow  a  second  light  to  impinge  on  the  surface  of 
the  ball,  another  pencil  of  light  will  be  formed  opposite 
this  second  window;  portions  of  the  ball  which  were 
in  the  first  instance  in  positive  shadow  will  now  be 
illuminated,  and  the  lights  from  the  two  windows  will 
cross  each  other,  and  a  confusion  of  shape  will  be  pro- 
duced on  the  optic  nerve.  An  effect  of  elongation  will 
be  produced  on  the  side  of  the  ball  next  to  the  left-hand 
window. 

Suppose  I  open  another  window  on  the  right  hand 
side  of  the  room,  a  third  light  will  illuminate  the  ball, 
producing  still  greater  confusion  of  form,  bulging  out 
the  ball  at  the  right  hand  as  well  as  the  left,  producing 
the  sensation  on  the  optic  nerve  of  an  oblate  spheroid, 
giving  false  form,  enfeebling  my  first  impression,  and 
destining  all  unity  of  shadow,  which  for  the  sake  of 
correctness  is  important  as  the  high  light — in  short, 
producing  an  apparent  prominence  on  the  ball  where 
there  is  really  nothing  of  the  kind. 

Again :  I  erect  a  pole  in  the  sunshine  that  casts  a 
certain  shadow  on  the  ground,  at  a  distance  from  the 
sun,  say  of  20° — an  imaginary  sun  casts  another  shadow 

12 


130  ON   LIGHTING   AND  POSING   THE   SITTER. 

of  the  same  polo.  Neither  of  these  shadows  in  the 
presence  of  the  other  will  be  so  well  formed — that  is, 
so  definite ;  each  will  appear  abraded  on  the  edges,  and 
enfeebled  by  the  presence  of  the  other — the  source  of 
light  in  the  one  case  tending  to  enfeeble  the  image  of 
the  other,  and  both  combining  to  produce  confusion  of 
image  on  the  optic  nerve,  the  two  sources  of  light  being 
positively  injurious  to  correct  form. 

Now,  if  we  substitute  the  human  figure  in  each  of 
these  cases,  whatever  happens  to  the  ball  and  the  pole 
in  the  matter  of  lighting,  happens  to  it  under  the  given 
conditions.  What  conclusion  ought  I  to  come  to,  then, 
in  regard  to  lighting?  If  two  or  more  sources  of  light 
produce  false  effect,  false  form — protuberances  where 
none  exist  in  nature — unlikeness  instead  of  likeness — 
feebleness  of  shadow — indefiniteness  of  shape — surely 
I  ougbt  to  consider  if  these  false  impressions  cannot  be 
removed  by  adopting  one  source  of  light  in  the  construc- 
tion of  a  portrait-room,  to  avoid  all  opposing  lights  as 
utterly  destructive  of  success,  whether  they  be  direct  or 
reflected.  One  source  of  light,  and  one  only,  is  the  prin- 
ciple I  venture  to  submit  for  your  consideration;  either 
with  a  high  side  light,  which  then  becomes  top  and  side, 
or  else  with  the  two  combined  in  the  same  direction, 
never  opposing. 

Why  is  it  so  many  photographic  portraits  are  not 
likenesses?  Because  the  principal  light,  which  if  left 
alone  would  make  the  portrait,  is  interfered  with  by 
reflection  or  opposing  direction — false  lights  making- 
prominences  in  the  face  where  none  exist  in  nature,  or 
intensifying  them  where  they  do  exist.  I  put  out  of 
the  question  here  considered,  the  ridiculous  twaddle 
that  is  uttered  by  half-educated  opticians,  that  promi- 
nences are  magnified  by  the  camera.     In  the  infancy  of 


CONSTRUCTION   OP   A   PHOTOGRAPHIC   GLASS-ROOM.      131 

our  art  this  might  have  been  the  case — in  the  days  of 
spectacle-lenses,  and  cigar-box  cameras,  and  ignoi*ance 
to  direct  them.  But  such  men  as  Dallmeyer,  Voigt- 
lander,  and  Eoss,  have  done  away  with  this  incubus  of 
the  early  photographer.  These  men  have  so  balanced 
the  curves  of  their  lenses  as  to  distribute  the  aberra- 
tion equally  over  the  field  of  view  of  the  camera,  and 
rendered  distortion  impossible  within  certain  limits; 
and  no  intelligent  operator  would  strain  his  lens  to 
attempt  to  cover  a  larger  field  of  view  than  that  for 
which  the  lens  was  constructed.  Photographers  owe 
these  able  men  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  their  splendid 
exertions;  and  while  doing  justice  to  them  I  am  not 
unmindful  that  Petzval,  l'Abbe  Moigno,  Foucault,  and 
Grubb,  have  each  worked  in  the  theoretical  branch,  and 
the  two  latter  in  the  practical  also,  towards  the  same 
end. 

Now,  supposing  I  have  made  myself  intelligible  in 
the  enunciation  of  a  principle  of  one  source  of  light,  a 
glass-room  will  grow  out  of  a  principle,  and  its  form 
will  be  determined  by  the  thing  it  has  to  do — that  is, 
to  produce  perfect  lighting  of  the  figure,  without  dis- 
tortion, confusion,  or  indecision.  That  it  ought  to  have 
no  more  glass  than  is  necessary  to  this  end,  I  think  will 
be  evident  to  any  one  capable  of  forming  an  opinion. 
An  elongated  glass-room,  all  of  glass,  is  really  two 
sources  of  light — to  say  nothing  of  the  heat  and  of  the 
confusion  to  the  camera-lens  itself.  This  brings  me  to 
the  point  to  project  a  glass-house  on  the  screen,  from 
the  principles  here  enunciated,  guided  by  the  experience 
of  failure  as  well  as  of  success. 

Let  X  X  X-be  a  section  of  your  room,  A  the  head  of 
the  sitter,  a  line  AB  to  bisect  another  at  B  at  right 
angles  to  B  A  will  give  you  the  pitch  of  the  roof  O  O. 


132  ON    LIGHTING   AND   POSING   THE    SITTER. 

For  perfect  illumination  of  the  figure,  I  assume  that 
the  opening  at  B  will  be  seven  feet  on  each  side,  or 
fourteen  feet  altogether,  which  I  find  by  experience 
about  the  best  dimensions. 

Now,  if  the  pitch  of  your  roof  be  made  flatter  (C  D), 
what  part  of  your  figure  will  be  best  illuminated? 

Bisect  your  opening  C  D,  and  drop  a  perpendicular 
from  T,  which  strikes  the  figure  at  F:  F  is  therefore  the 


centre  of  illumination  of  the  figure,  and  parallel  lines 
from  C  and  D  to  meet  XXX  embrace  the  area  of  illumi- 
nation of  the  room  C  Z,  DZ;  but  as  this  embraces  too 
much  foreground  and  too  little  background,  it  would 
be  necessary  to  alter  the  centre  T  to  a  fresh  point  R, 
so  that  the  head  shall  be  the  centre  of  illumination. 
From  this  it  clearly  follows  that  the  flatter  the  roof  the 
more  headroom  will  be  required  to  preserve  the  centre 
of  illumination  on  the  head  of  the  figure. 

Now  O  O  is  at  an  angle  of  45°,  C  D  at  an  angle  of  35° ; 
therefore  I  conclude  that  from  35°  to  45°  is  the  best 
angle  for  the  roof. 

I  lay  it  down  as  an  axiom,  high  side  light  for  illumi- 
nation of  the  subject,  and  controllable  soft,  broken  top 


CONSTRUCTION    OF   A   PIIOTOGRAnilC   GLASS-ROOM.      133 

light  to  make  the  shadows — both  combined,  but  in  the 
same  direction;  no  reflectors  of  any  kind;  these  oppose 
the  action  of  the  principal  light,  and  tend  to  enfeeble 
the  likeness.  In  a  short  sentence,  the  lighting  and  the 
shadowing  to  come  both  from  the  same  one  source  of 
light,  blended,  mixed,  and  broken  in  the  same  direction 
— not  opposing,  as  all  reflected  lights  do  and  ever  will. 

This  brings  me  to  the  subject  of  blinds.  I  have  tried 
various  ones,  jMcLachlan's  included.  I  find  light  tissue 
paper  of  a  blue  color  very  good  to  filter  the  suulight 
through  in  summer,  but  too  opaque  in  winter;  muslin 
blinds  of  a  gray  tint  are  good,  if  made  of  two  thick- 
nesses and  to  slide  over  each  other  when  the  light  is 
strong. 

McLachlan's  blinds  were  so  badly  made  that  they 
never  had  a  fair  chance  in  my  hands.  For  breaking  up 
the  sunlight  and  massing  it  in  its  proper  direction  they 
are  good,  and,  if  simply  mounted,  very  desirable,  as 
they  can  be  drawn  up  in  winter  out  of  the  way  when 
the  sun  does  not  shine.  1  now  speak  of  them  for  top 
blinds  for  producing  shadow,  as  I  do  not  admit  that  the 
high  lights  can  be  produced  with  blinds  at  all.  The 
side  opening  must  be  clear  and  of  fourteen  feet,  with 
blinds  both  white  and  black,  to  close,  to  open,  or  to 
modify  the  amount  of  light. 

A  painter's  eye  is  necessary  to  judge  of  the  various 
effects  to  be  produced  by  different  modifications  of  the 
quantity  of  light;  but  one  thing  must  he  borne  in  mind 
— that  the  scale  of  lighting  must  be  higher  than  that 
which  a  painter  would  use,  or  else  the  resulting  portrait 
will  be  dark  in  the  shadows  and  with  no  brilliancy  in 
the  high  lights. 

According  to  my  experience,  the  room  ought  to  be 
twenty -four  feet  in  length,  a  blank  side  wTall  from  the 

12* 


134  ON   LIGHTING   AND   POSING   THE   SITTER. 

background  of  six  feet,  then  an  open  window  nine  feet 
in  width,  by  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  in  height.  The 
width  of  the  room  fourteen  to  sixteen  feet.  The  por- 
tions of  the  room  in  which  the  camera  stands  ought  to 
be  obscure ;  if  in  darkness  all  the  better,  to  prevent 
stray  light  impinging  on  the  plate.  For  the  side  lights 
I  recommend  plate  glass;  for  the  top  I  am  inclined  to 
adopt  this  new  light-colored  ribbed  glass,  which  I  think 
will  dispense  with  blinds  altogether. 

The  best  aspect  of  a  glass-room  is  either  northeast 
or  southwest.  I  believe  it  will  be  found  that  northeast 
is  better  than  any  other,  as  the  light  is  so  steady  and 
and  not  so  difficult  to  manage. 

I  have  purposely  made  this  paper  short,  that  it  might 
afford  time  for  discussion;  and  I  hope  the  members  will 
endeavor  to  grasp  the  principle  I  have  endeavored, 
however  feebly,  to  enunciate,  and  that  by  combining 
our  experience  a  better  method  of  treating  the  light 
may  ensue,  and  consequently  greater  perfection  in  the 
productions  of  our  art. — J.  E.  Mayall,  British  Journal 
of  Photography,  Dec.  15,  1865. 


A  I U  HIT  LIGHTING  THE  SITTER  ANT) 
SOFT  PICTURES.* 


I  confess  entering  upon  my  tusk  this  evening  with 
some  trepidation,  after  the  able  and  most  exhaustive 
paper  read  by  Mr.  Jabez  Hughes  at  your  last  meeting; 
but  an  earnest  desire  for  improvement  in  these  particu- 
lars of  lighting  and  softness,  both  in  my  own  pictures  and 
in  those  of  others,  leads  me  to  overcome  any  hesitation 
I  have  in  occupying  your  time  this  evening.  I  think 
it  is  well  when  a  subject  is  once  started  to  try  and  carry 
it  out  to  a  practical  end  before  giving  up,  and  certainly 
we  ought  to  have  a  better  discussion  upon  Mr.  Hughes's 
paper  than  we  had  upon  the  last  occasion. 

That  the  subject  is  one  of  extreme  importance  no 
photographer  will  be  rash  enough  to  deny.  The  public 
are  beginning  to  look  for  something  more  than  that 
mask  of  white  paper  with  several  black  holes  in  it 
which  a  few  years  since  did  duty  as  a  photogi-aphic 
likeness.  They  now  require  that  their  eyes,  nose,  head, 
hands,  &c.,  should  not  be  misrepresented  as  "independ- 
ent members,"  separated  the  one  from  the  other  by 
patches  of  white  paper,  or  by  "empty  voids"  of  black 
shadow;  but  that  they  should  be  connected  by  half- 
tone, and  that  the  same  ugly  patch  of  white  paper  shall 

*  Read  at  a  meeting  of  the  South  London  Photographic  Society,  May 
11,  1SG5. 


136  ON    LIGHTING   AND   POSING   THE    SITTER. 

not  be  held  to  properly  represent  forehead,  shirt  front, 
glittering  watch  chain,  and  shiny  boots.  Mr.  Hughes 
asks — "Who  will  get  up  an  agitation  against  white 
paper  faces  and  black  shadows?"  My  reply  is — the 
public  are  already  doing  so;  therefore,  the  best  thing 
we  photographers  can  do  is  to  set  to  work  and  remedy 
the  defect  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  this  is  m}r  excuse 
for  engaging  your  attention  to-night. 

To  properly  light  the  model  is  undoubtedly  the  most 
difficult  portion  of  the  photographer's  duty,  and  it  is 
almost  as  difficult  to  describe — in  fact,  we  cannot  de- 
scribe it.  The  constantly  varying  conditions,  both  of 
the  light  itself  and  of  the  models  to  be  photographed, 
would  forbid  it,  even  if  individuality  of  taste  in  the 
artist  did  not.  But  this  must  not  be  worked  up  into  an 
excuse  for  letting  our  ideas  run  wild  on  this  subject; 
and  I  shall  endeavor  to  show  that,  although  we  cannot 
teach  any  one  how  to  light  each  individual  sitter,  we 
can  yet  lay  down  certain  rules,  and  adopt  certain  fixed 
principles,  which  may  render  good  lighting  more  easy 
of  attainment  than  it  is  at  present.  I  shall,  therefore, 
attempt  to  roughly  describe  the  effect  produced  by  light 
falling  upon  the  sitter  in  certain  directions,  of  course 
leaving  the  principles  to  be  applied  by  photographers 
themselves. 

As  all  operating  rooms,  or  nearly  all,  have  glass  roofs, 
we  will  begin,  if  }~ou  please,  with  top  light.  (By  top 
light  I  mean  all  light  falling  upon  the  model  at  a  more 
acute  angle  than  about  80°.)  Top  light  may  be  said  to 
be  most  unsuited  for  portraiture,  making  prominent  in 
the  face  all  the  most  unlovely  features.  It  sends  the 
e3Tes  back  into  deep  shadows  and  brings  the  cheek  bones 
forward,  gives  a  white  patch  upon  the  top  of  the  head 
and  separates  the  head  from  the  body  by  a  deep,  black 


ON    LIGHTING   THE    SITTER,   AND   SOFT   PICTURES.      187 

gulf  of  shadow,  brings  out  all  wrinkles  and  markings  in 
undue  proportion,  and  in,  in  fact,  altogether  given  over 
to  evil  ways. 

I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  few  pictures  have  been, 
or  can  be,  produced  by  top  light.  Of  course  we  have 
many  rooms  lighted  from  the  top  alone,  but  where  good 
pictures  are  produced  in  these  it  is  because  the  artist 
has  boldly  -taken  old  Sol  by  the  beams,"  and  made  him 
do  his  bidding  by  turning  his  rays  upon  the  model  in 
some  other  than  a  vertical  direction.  I  think  we  may 
therefore  say  that  rule  the  first  for  lighting  the  sitter 
should  be — use  as  little  top  or  vertical  light  as  possible.  A 
small  quantity  of  light  may  be  admitted  from  the  top 
of  the  room  in  front  and  on  one  side  of  the  sitter  with 
advantage.  It  should  not  be  too  strong,  but  allowed  to 
just  strike  upon  the  more  prominent  portions  of  the 
face.  This  will  give  sharpness  and  piquancy  to  the 
lights,  particularly  that  sharp  line  down  the  nose  so 
necessary  to  give  proper  relief  to  the  features.  We 
now  come  to  consider  the  effect  of  front  light.  By  this 
I  mean  light  admitted  directly  in  front  and  on  a  level 
with  the  sitter.  The  tendency  of  light  falling  upon  the 
model  in  this  direction  is  to  produce  flatness,  and  that 
peculiar  and  unpleasant  effect  called  "adherence."  All 
the  parts  of  the  picture  appear  at  the  same  distance 
from  the  spectator,  and  the  sitter  seems  as  if  let  into 
the  background.  Some  small  quantity  of  light  of  this 
sort  may  at  times  be  useful  in  overcoming  an  excess  of 
light  in  other  directions;  but  it  should  always  be  borne 
in  mind  that  its  tendency  is  to  flatten  the  picture  and 
destroy  brilliance.  I  think  we  may  therefore  consider 
it  as  our  second  rule,  never  to  have  a  window  directly 
in  front  of  the  sitter,  and  to  admit  no  more  light  in  this 
direction  than  is  absolutely  necessary. 


138  ON   LIGHTING  AND   POSING   THE    SITTER. 

But  the  light  upon  which  the  photographer  must 
mostly  depend  is  that  admitted  from  the  side.  By  side 
light  I  understand  all  that  light  falling  sideways  upon 
the  model  which  may  he  included  in  an  angle  of  60°  or 
70°,  both  vertically  and  horizontally. 

In  most  cases  this  will  he  the  principal  source  of 
light.-  Of  course  this  will  illuminate  all  the  projecting 
portions  of  the  model,  and  produce  a  great  effect  of 
relief.  Perhaps  to  admit  the  principal  light  at  an  angle 
of  about  40°  or  50°  will  be  best  as  a  general  rule,  but 
of  course  this  must  be  varied  to  suit  the  peculiarities  of 
the  sitter.  For  very  prominent  features  it  may  be  used 
well  in  front,  while  for  more  delicate  faces  the  admission 
of  light  well  from  the  side  will  give  a  pleasing  amount 
of  relief  and  roundness.  A  small  quantity  of  light  ad- 
mitted between  the  sitter  and  the  background  is  very 
useful  in  detaching  the  different  portions  of  the  picture, 
and  giving  proper  relief  to  all  its  parts;  it  will  also 
help  to  remove  that  dark  shade  upon  the  top  of  the 
background  so  frequently  seen,  and  which  gives  such  a 
heavy  and  unpleasing  appearance  to  what  would  other- 
wise be  excellent  pictures.  I  should  recommend  that 
the  studio  be  constructed  to  admit  side  light  from  floor 
to  roof,  and  so  as  to  include  a  long  angle  from  the  back- 
ground. Rule  three  we  may,  I  think,  lay  down  as 
follows:  The  principal  light  should  be  mostly  on  one 
side,  and  slightly  in  advance  and  above  the  head  of  the 
model. 

I  think  those  I  have  mentioned  may  be  considered 
the  principal  directions  in  which  the  light  can  be  made 
available  for  portraiture;  but  as  with  these  alone  the 
transitions  from  light  to  shadow  would  be  too  abrupt 
or  sudden,  we  must  use  reflected  or  diffused  light  to 


ON   LIGHTING    THE   SITTER  AND    SOFT   PICTURES.      139 

soften  and  load,  as  it  were,  the  light  over  to  the  shadow, 
so  as  to  produce  a  proper  and  harmonions  whole. 

We  have  two  modes  open  to  us  for  accomplishing 
this.  First,  we  may  admit  such  a  portion  of  direct  light 
as  shall  properly  halance  and  relieve  the  shadows  cast 
by  the  principal  light;  or  we  may  so  arrange  certain 
screens  or  reflectors  as  that  they  may  receive  and  re- 
flect back  as  much  of  the  principal  light  as  may  bo 
required  to  produce  the  desired  effect. 

Although  the  second  method  named  may  be  best 
under  most  circumstances,  no  studio  can  be  considered 
complete  unless  cither  method  can  be  used  at  will.  It 
will  sometimes  happen  that  we  cannot  get  reflection 
enough  to  properly  equalize  the  lighting,  and  it  must  be 
remembered  that  as  we  shut  off  the  direct  light  we 
diminish  the  quantity  reflected,  when  we  have  nothing- 
left  but  to  admit  as  much  diffused  light  as  may  be  re- 
quired, the  which,  if  we  have  glass  only  on  one  side,  as 
some  recommend,  we  shall  bo  sorely  puzzled  to  do.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  we  have  only  diffused  and  no  reflected 
light,  it  will  often  be  found  difficult,  if  not  impossible, 
to  keep  it  in  proper  subjection;  and  we  shall  find  pro- 
duced the  absurd  effect  of  shadows  projected  in  different 
directions  in  the  same  picture. 

It  has  been  objected  to  the  use  of  screens  that  they 
frequently  reflect  the  light  back  into  the  eyes  of  the 
sitter,  so  as  to  produce  the  effect  of  blindness.  This 
need  not  be  the  case  if  care  bo  taken,  and  the  following 
rules  observed :  Avoid  the  use  of  any  polished  surface, 
such  as  silvered  glass  or  tin  foil.  Keep  the  reflector 
upright,  and  not  inclined  toward  the  sitter,  and  do  not 
let  the  sun  shine  on  it  when  in  use.  Ordinary  white 
satin  wall  paper  is  a  very  excellent  material  for  cover- 
ing a  reflecting;  screen. 


140  ON    LIGHTING   AND   POSING   THE    SITTER. 

In  concluding  my  remarks  on  this  part  of  the  subject, 
allow  mo  to  say  I  think  with  Mr.  Simpson,  that  the 
photographer  should  have  as  much  glass  as  possible  in 
his  studio,  and  with  Mr.  Hughes,  that  he  should  make 
use  of  as  little  as  he  can  do  with.  What  he  does  want, 
however,  he  should  be  able  to  turn  upon  the  model  in 
any  direction  he  may  require,  which,  in  a  room  con- 
structed as  Mr.  Hughes  recommends,  would  be  im- 
possible. 

We  now  come  to  consider  for  a  short  time — for  this 
paper  has  already  become  much  longer  than  I  intended 
— the  question  of  softness,  or  (and  I  like  the  term  bet- 
ter) gradation  of  tone  in  the  picture. 

Mr.  Hughes  introduces  a  very  civil  old  gentleman 
(almost  "too  good  to  be  true,"  by  the  way),  who  ai'gues 
with  great  force  and  point  against  the  deep  black 
shadows  which  he  finds  produced  in  his  photographs. 
He  seems  to  think  that  the  light  used  by  photogra- 
phers is  too  strong,  and  that  the  somewhat  abnormal 
conditions  in  which  a  person  is  placed  while  sitting 
for  a  portrait,  are  such  that  a  pleasing  likeness  cannot 
be  produced.  No  doubt  this  is  true  to  some  extent. 
We  must  plead  guilty  to  a  fancy  for  plenty  of  light,  and 
for  putting  the  sitter  "out  of  his* misery"  as  quickly  as 
possible.  But  I  have  yet  to  learn  that  proper  gradation 
cannot  be  secured  even  in  the  brightest  light.  In  the 
early  days  of  the  art,  when  bromide  was  not,  such  an 
idea  might  do;  but  now,  no  matter  how  harsh  the 
lighting,  we  ought  to  be  able  to  produce  a  fair  amount 
of  gradation.  Do  not  let  me  be  misunderstood.  I  do 
not  advise  harsh  or  careless  lighting.  I  have  before 
said  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  light  the  model 
well;  but  we  must  not  altogether  ignore  the  fact  that 
we  have  provided  for  us  a  means  of  avoiding  harsh  con- 


OX   LIGHTING   THE    SITTER   AND   SOFT   HCTURES.      141 

trasts,  and  "hardness"  in  a  proper  modification  of  our 
chemicals.  "We  find  two  men  both  producing  good,  soft 
pictures.  One  can  only  use  Mr.  A.'s  collodion,  the  other 
Mr.  B.'s,  and  each  one  condemning  the  collodion  used 
by  the  other — the  reason  being  simply  this,  that  in  one 
gentleman's  room  the  lighting  is  naturally  soft,  and  Mr. 
A.'s  collodion  giving  a  good,  strong,  intense  image,  is 
precisely  the  thing  required;  while  the  other  equally 
good  photographer,  having  a  room  with  a  great  deal  of 
top  light,  say,  and  one  which  gives  sharp  contrasts  of 
light  and  shade,  swears  by  Mr.  B.'s  collodion,  which 
gives  great  detail  with  but  little  intensity.  I  believe  in 
using  all  the  means  we  have  in  order  to  attain  our  ends, 
and  assuredly  we  ought  not  to  ignore  our  power  in  this 
direction. 

But  ought  all  our  pictures  to  be  so  soft  and  delicate  ? 
Suppose,  for  instance,  our  model  is  an  old  gentleman 
who  has  seen  service  in  India,  with  sunken  eyes,  deep- 
furrowed  checks,  and  strongly-marked  features  alto- 
gether. Xow,  if  we  produce  a  delicate,  light  picture, 
will  it  be  truthful?  I  think  not.  Beautiful?  Certainly 
not;  the  beauty  of  such  a  head  will  be  in  the  impression 
it  conveys  of  strength  of  character  and  power  of  will. 
Men  who  have  nearly  done  a  life's  work,  hard  work 
don't  look  delicate.  I  say,  therefore,  let  such  a  face 
be  lighted  to  look  what  it  is — a  portrait  of  a  man,  and 
not  like  that  of  a  girl  of  sixteen.  "  But  the  public  don't 
like  that,"  say  photographers.  Well,  I  know  they  don't, 
and  I  am  sorry  for  the  public;  but  they  will,  some  day, 
and  that  before  long.  But  while  I  would  so  light  the 
sitter  spoken  of  as  to  give  as  much  boldness  as  possible, 
1  must  not  be  understood  to  sanction  hardness  or  want 
of  gradation;  for  it  must  be  remembered  that  we  may 
produce  the  boldest  relief,  and  finest  contrasts  of  light 

13 


142  ON   LIGHTING   AND   POSING   THE   SITTER. 

and  shade,  and  yet  secure  perfect  gradation.  I  am  in- 
clined to  think  that  of  all  the  causes  of  hardness,  under- 
exposure is  the  most  frequent  and  inexcusable.  Since 
the  theory  that  some  of  the  shadows  should  be  repre- 
sented by  bare  glass  was  started,  under-exposure  has 
been  rife;  and  so  long  as  the  bare  glass  was  there,  the 
half-tint  in  the  face  might  take  its  chance.  "We  have 
made  a  mistake,  I  venture  to  think.  When  we  can 
secure  perfect  gradation  and  bare  glass,  too,  by  all 
means  let  us  have  it;  but  if  not,  we  will  have  the  gra- 
dation on  one  plate  and  the  bare  glass  on  another, 
always  remembering  that  the  same  bare  glass  repre- 
sents black  without  any  gradation  whatever,  and  that 
it  is  consequently  to  be  used  most  sparingly. 

One  word  in  conclusion  as  to  the  influence  of  tone  in 
the  positive.  Most  of  our  portraits  are  too  cold  in  color 
to  properly  represent  the  half-tints  of  flesh.  Once, 
showing  some  portraits  to  an  artist  friend  of  mine,  he 
said — "  They  look  as  if  you  ought  to  buy  them  at  an 
ironmonger's."  How  many  of  our  portraits  look  cold 
and  unpleasing  which  would,  if  properly  toned  to  a 
warm  color,  be  of  the  most  pleasing  character!  We 
frequently  hear  people  complain  that  their  faces  look 
black  and  dirty,  and  so  they  do,  as  if  they  had  been 
black-leaded  before  sitting;  but  just  keep  the  tone  warm, 
and  what  was  before  dirt  is  now  half-tint,  and  the  effect 
is  pleasing.  The  chief  charm  of  the  vignettes  of  Mr. 
T.  E.  "Williams  is  that  lovely,  warm,  easy  tone.  Take 
an  ordinary  print  and  place  it  side  by  side  with  one  of 
these,  and  you  will  be  surpi'ised  to  find  how  much 
warmth  there  is  in  it.  You  will  never  find  a  flesh 
shadow  black,  therefore  you  cannot  expect  to  represent 
it  by  black.  "While  on  this  subject,  ma}^  I  ask  why  so 
many  artists  work  in  so  dark  a  key?    "Would  it  not  be 


ON    LIGHTING   THE   SITTER   AND   SOFT   PICTURES.       143 

bettor  to  keep  our  pictures  lighter,  and  so  make  them 
more  cheerful'/ 

I  often  think  that  much  of  the  delicacy  and  beauty 
of  our  best  portraits  are  lost  by  over-printing.  Unfor- 
tunately, photographic  printers  seem  to  work  more  for 
the  shadows  than  the  lights.  I  know  that  white  paper 
does  not  represent  flesh,  but  neither  does  black  or 
brown;  and  I  think  those  very  small  points  of  high 
light  on  the  forehead  and  down  the  nose  may,  if  the 
negative  be  a  good  one  and  full  of  gradation,  be  left 
white,  or  nearly  so  as  may  be.  Our  paper  has  mostly 
a  slight  tinge  of  color,  quite  sufficient  to  prevent  any 
harshness  if  used  in  moderation.  We  have  but  a  limited 
scale  of  tones  in  which  to  work,  and  my  impression  is 
that  with  a  good  negative  all  we  have  to  do  is  to  look 
after  the  lights,  and  leave  the  darks  to  take  care  of 
themselves.  If  we  place  it  against  the  high  lights,  on 
the  face  of  a  well-lighted  model,  we  shall  be  sivrprised  to 
find  how  light  they  really  are,  while  against  even  a 
dark  cloud  white  paper  is  comparatively  black.  These 
and  other  considerations,  therefore,  lead  me  to  the  con- 
clusion that  our  portraits  would  be  frequently  much 
more  pleasing  if  printed  altogether  lighter. 

I  hope,  gentlemen,  you  will  excuse  the  absence  of 
novelty  in  these  gossiping  remarks,  and  the  dwelling 
so  long  upon  such  seeming  trifles,  remembering  that 
these  trifles  go  to  make  up  that  perfection  which  is 
certainly  no  trifle. — J.  C.  Leake,  Jr.,  British  Journal  of 
Photography. 


144  ON    LIGHTING   AND    POSING    THE    SITTER. 


ABOUT  LIGHT  AND   ABOUT   LIGHTING  THE 

SITTER,  AND  ABOUT  THE  ROOM  IN 

WHICH  HE  IS  LIGHTED. 


[Our  extracts  will  be  concluded  with  some  remarks  taken  from 
a  very  clever  paper  by  Mr.  Jabez  Hughes,  which  appeared  some 
weeks  since  in  the  British  Journal  of  Photography.  We  are 
scarcely  prepared,  however,  to  join  in  Mr.  Hughes's  stringent 
censure  of  too  much  glass,  which  is  always  so  easily  covered.  In 
America  the  light  is  far  more  powerful  than  in  England,  and 
there  is  therefore  greater  danger  in  using  light  from  limited  di- 
rections.] 

".'Lighting  the  sitter'  photographically  means  put- 
ting him  into  a  much  stronger  light  than  usual;  and 
keeping  him  there  a  sufficiently  long  time  to  effect  a 
certain  process.  In  the  early  da}^s  of  the  art  it  meant 
putting  him  for  half  an  hour  in  the  strong  sunshine; 
now  it  means  confining  him  for  a  short  time  in  a  sort 
of  glass  case.  The  arrangement  and  management  of  light, 
to  the  photographer,  means  the  keeping  it  on  the  sitter 
and  off  the  camera  and  lens,  and  also  away  from  the 
plate  during  preparation  and  development.  'Lighting 
the  sitter,'  to  the  artist,  means  quite  a  different  thing. 
It  means  putting  him  in  a  weaker  light  than  usual,  ad- 
mitted through  one  window  only,  and  allowed  to  fall  in 
such  a  way  that  all  the  forms  and  contours  of  the  indi- 
vidual are  more  markedly  seen  than  in  ordinary  apart- 
ments. After  the  artist  has  arranged  his  sitter,  and  got 
the  light  so  regulated  as  to  show  all  the  delicate  shades, 
then  it  is  to  the  purpose  to  inquire  what  he  will  do  with 
it  ?  He  may  paint,  or  draw,  or  model  from  it,  or  he 
may  photograph. 


ABOUT    LIGHTING    THE   SITTER.  145 

"  It  will  be  seen  that  these  two  classes  use  the  phrase 

with  different  meanings.  The  photographic  studio  is 
as  much  too  light  for  the  artist  as  the  artist's  studio  is 
too  dark  for  the  photographer. 

"Now,  the  photographer,  strictly  speaking,  has* only 
to  delineate  by  light  whatever  is  before  his  lens.  The 
artist's  business  is  to  arrange,  compose,  select,  or  reject, 
according  to  his  idea  of  art.  The  true  artist  thus  finds 
nothing  ready  to  his  hand,  but,  by  artificial  means,  bends, 
moulds,  and  improves  the  raw  natural  material.  The 
true  photographer  is  a  simple  delineator. 

"The  two  classes  are,  in  their  essence,  distinct,  yet 
they  may  be,  and  often  are,  combined.  The  artist  may 
be  a  painter,  a  sculptor,  or  a  photographer;  and  the 
photographer  may' or  may  not  be  an  artist.  He  may 
photograph  things  just  as  they  happen  to  come,  never 
altering  or  modifying;  or  he  may,  by  art,  so  contrive 
that  scarcely  anything  he  does  is  not  modified  and  im- 
proved by  this  controlling  influence. 

"  Happily  individuals  of  this  class  are  becoming  nu- 
merous, and  to  them  the  feeling  constantly  is,  how  are 
the  great  truths  of  art  to  be  combined  with  the  won- 
drous graphic  power  of  photography  ? 

"  To  these  persons  the  phrase  '  how  to  light  the  sit- 
1  er '  means,  how  are  the  advantages  of  the  artist's  studio 
and  the  photographic  studio  to  be  combined,  and  the 
disadvantages  of  each  to  be  avoided  ?  How  shall  we 
put  light  enough  into  the  artist's  studio  to  photograph 
the  beautiful  model  without  losing  the  half-tones,  or  how 
shall  we  introduce  the  proper  modelling  and  delicacy 
into  the  photographic  studio  without  losing  rapidity 
and  brilliancy  ?  All  the  modernly-devised  glass-rooms 
have  more  or  less  attempted  to  solve  this  problem.  Not 
that  I  attach  much  faith  in  any  form  of  glass-room  ;  the 


146  ON    LIGHTING   AND   POSING   THE    SITTER. 

much  more  important  inquir}^  is  how  to  use  it  ?  I  think 
any  one  that  visits  glass-rooms  will  soon  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  no  idea  can  be  formed  from  the  shape 
of  the  room  what  kind  of  picture  will  be  taken  in  it. 
And  the  converse  will  equally  apply — from  the  kind  of 
picture  you  cannot  infer  the  shape  of  the  room.  Most 
of  us  here  are  aware  of  tbe  charmingly  soft  pictures  of 
Mr.  T.  R.  Williams,  and  also  how  near  Mr.  Blanchard's 
and  Mr.  Cooper's  are  to  the  same  character,  and  yet 
their  rooms  are  as  utterly  unlike  as  they  can  be,,  agree- 
ing only  in  one  thing,  that  they  are  all  singularly  un- 
fitted for  what  they  produce.  It  would  seem  almost  as 
if  the  light  had  made  a  challenge  with  these  gentlemen 
and  had  defied  them  to  produce  good  pictures  in  their 
rooms,  and  that  they  had  accepted  the  challenge,  had 
fought,  had  won,  and  had  made  the  light  do  just  what 
they  thought  proper.  One  remarkable  instance  of  what 
a  man  may  do  with  a  bad  room  was  reported  to  me  a 
while  since.  The  artist  in  question  had  a  very  singular 
odd-shaped  glass-room  built  up  among  the  chimney- 
pots, with  windows  in  here  and  there  wherever  circum- 
stances would  permit,  but  the  whole  place  was  described 
as  a  sort  of  zigzag  place,  without  form  and  void,  and 
darkness  was  on  the  stairs  that  approached  it.  The 
artist  rather  piqued  himself  on  its  bizarre  effect  and  its 
apparent  unfittedness  for  photographic  work.  He  sa}Ts 
he  don't  care  for  the  form  of  the  room,  or  where  the 
light  comes  from ;  he  forms  on  the  instant  just  the  light 
he  wants  by  putting  the  sitter  into  a  movable  box  just 
large  enough  for  one.  and  then  he  puts  a  sort  of  tent 
round,  with  very  narrow  blinds  on  each  side,  almost 
like  wide  ribbons;  these  he  draws  down  one  at  a  time 
until  he  gets  such  an  effect  of  light  and  shade  as  he 
wishes.     The  pictures  he  produces.  I  am  assured,  are 


ABOUT   LIGHTING   THE    SITTER.  147 

really  of  a  very  good  order.  From  instances  like  theso 
it  would  seem  we  might  paraphrase  Pope's  couplet : 

'  For  forms  of  rooms  let  foolish  photo. 's  fight : 
His  can't  be  wrong  whose  pictures  are  all  right.' 

Although  apparently  any  form  of  room  can  be  worked 
in  beneficially  if  only  the  artist  knows  how,  yet  I  cer- 
tainly think  some  are  more  easily  managed  than  others. 
There  is  one  form  I  detest  to  see,  and  yet  it  is  the  popu- 
lar type, — a  huge  glass  box  with,  perhaps,  some  corru- 
gated iron  behind  the  background.  Some  authorities 
say,  put  as  much  glass  in  your  room  as  you  can,  you 
don't  know  how  it  may  be  needed,  and  you  can,  by 
blinds,  stop  out  what  you  don't  want.  I  would  rather 
say,  put  in  as  little  as  you  need,  for  until  you  try  you 
don't  know  what  a  quantity  you  can  spare.  Where 
there  is  so  much  glass  there  is  a  tendency  to  use  it. 
'  What's  the  use  of  having  glass  and  not  using  it  V  The 
curious  thing  is,  that  beyond  a  certain  small  area,  all 
the  rest  of  the  glass  in  the  room  not  only  does  no  good 
but  a  deal  of  harm,  in  causing  flatness  and  fog;  and, 
more  singular,  though  there's  so  much  light  in  the  room 
the  exposure  in  the  camera  is  not  shortened.  Let  any 
man  who  uses  a  deal  of  glass  window,  close  up  by  de- 
grees all  the  distant  panes  from  the  sitter,  and  he  will 
be  surprised  how  many  he  may  stop  up  with  advantage 
and  without  any  loss  whatever. 

-An  artist's  studio  is  a  chamber  artificially  prepared, 
so  that  all  the  half-tones  and  delicate  shadows  of  the 
face  would  be  shown  more  perfectly  than  they  can  be 
seen  in  an  ordinary  room.  And  why  are  the  shadows 
less  seen  in  an  ordinary  room?  Because  the  increased 
amount  of  diffused  light  obliterates  them.  If  this  is 
true  in  our  usual  rooms,  what  becomes  of  these  delicate 


148  ON    LIGHTING   AND   TOSING   THE    SITTER. 

tones  in  one  of  these  huge  glass  cages  ?  Why,  they  are 
destroyed  on  every  side,  and  nothing  is  left  but  the  hard, 
abrupt  shadows,  and  the  broad,  flat,  high  lights.  Some 
years  ago  there  was  a  cry  raised  against  white  paper 
skies  in  landscapes;  who  will  get  up  an  agitation  against 
white  paper  faces  and  black  shadows?  Sure  these  are 
quite  as  unnatural  and  more  repulsive. 

"The  beauty  of  a  face  depends  on  half-tone,  on  deli- 
cate modelling;  when  seen  in  ordinary  daylight  there 
are  no  such  things,  even  in  the  oldest  and  most  deeply- 
wrinkled  person,  as  black  shadows.  They  are  all  more 
or  lees  gray;  and  the  remedy  is  better  lighting  for  the 
sitter,  less  abrupt  transition  from  light  to  shadow.  I 
think  the  so-called  glass-room  should  be  looked  upon  as 
a  piece  of  apparatus  for  putting  the  sitter  into  a  sort  of 
camera,  and  the  apertures  in  the  sides  and  roof  should 
be  made  more  after  the  idea  of  the  artist's  studio — that 
is,  not  to  light  the  room,  but  to  light  the  sitter.  These 
apertures  or  windows — I  prefer  just  now  to  call  them 
apertures — should  be  made  no  larger  than  is  necessary 
to  produce  the  effect  they  were  made  for.  Eveiy  sensi- 
ble photographer  is  jealous  of  each  ray  of  light  that 
enters  the  camera  that  does  not  produce  a  picture,  and 
so  should  he  be  of  every  ray  that  enters  his  illuminating 
room  that  plays  no  part  in  illuminating  the  figure.  I 
have  called  the  glass-room,  for  distinction's  sake,  the 
illuminating  room,  and  I  like  the  term.  It  may  or  may 
not  be  a  glass-room. :  I  know  of  many  that  have  very 
little  glass  in  them.  The  glass  is  a  mere  accident;  it  is 
not  the  glass  that  admits  the  light,  it  is  the  aperture  in 
the  wall  or  roof  that  admits  the  light,  and  the  glass  is 
merely  used  to  keep  off  wind  and  weather.  It  is  these 
holes  or  apertures  that  have  to  be  studied  and  so  ar- 
ranged as  to  completely,  but  gently  and  softly,  illumi- 
nate the  object.  "Jabez  Hughes."  * 


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